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PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has barred Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa’s lawyer from taking over Rydings Primary School in Karoi in one of his most decisive actions against Zanu PF sympathisers abusing the land reform programme to seize private assets.
Mutasa in 2007 designated Enthorpe Farm on which the school is built and allocated it to Gerald Mlotshwa who in turn appointed Zanu PF provincial lands secretary, Temba Mliswa as chairman of the school’s board of governors.
After several court battles, parents through the Association of Trust Schools (ATS), petitioned Mugabe seeking the withdrawal of Mlotshwa’s offer letter.
On Wednesday Mugabe consulted Lands Minister Herbert Murerwa and Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo before acting on the matter.
He told journalists the following day during a rare meeting with all media houses in the country that the allocation of the farm “was an abuse of power.”
“We have said the offer letter must be withdrawn,” Mugabe said. “It was very wrong. . .it is an abuse of power.”
Mugabe, who had wandered off from a discussion on race relations in the country constantly consulted Deputy Media, Information and Publicity Minister Jameson Timba who was AST chairman when the dispute started.
Timba said they were happy the matter had been put to rest.
“I am delighted as a former chairman of the AST that the matter, which was pending when I stepped down, has been finally resolved,” he said.
“It was both irresponsible and immoral of anyone to designate and acquire a farm, which incorporates a school and to accept an offer letter for such a farm.”
The school has an enrolment of 400 pupils.
Meanwhile, Mugabe said he was aware some Zanu PF officials who helped themselves to white- owned commercial farms were now leasing them to the former land owners.
Mliswa has accused Chombo and Information and Publicity Minister Webster Shamu of leasing their farms to former white commercial farmers.
“We will go province by province to check on those leasing their farms,” Mugabe said. “Those who do that risk losing them because it’s not permissible.”
Mugabe also backed the land audit, which he said would flush out multiple farm owners.
But he seemed uncomfortable speaking about the multiple farms allegedly owned by the First Family.
He said he personally owned Highfield Farm in Norton, which he bought and Gushungo dairy farm in Mazowe which he grabbed during the land reform programme.
Mugabe said he had wanted Gushungo to be a “centre of excellence” but admitted the Nestlé Zimbabwe fiasco had badly affected the business.
Nestlé last year temporarily suspended operations following attempts to force it to buy milk from the farm. This forced them to reduce the milk output.
Mugabe complained that Dairibord had failed to pay for milk deliveries for six months.
BY KHOLWANI NYATHI
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