President Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao who is also MP for Zvimba East has claimed responsibility for the invasions of the tourism facilities around Lake Chivero and has vowed the invaders who were thrown out by the police last week will return soon.

We'll re-invade lake resorts says Zanu PF

Comment & Analysis

By The Standard | Jan. 30, 2011

BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE President Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao who is also MP for Zvimba East has claimed responsibility for the invasions of the tourism facilities around Lake Chivero and has vowed the invaders who were thrown out by the police last week will return soon.

It has emerged Zanu PF activists calling themselves war veterans from President Mugabe’s home district planned the invasion as far back as October last year.

According to documents obtained by The Standard last week had the invasion been successful the facilities would have been dolled out to senior Zanu PF officials, chiefs and top civil servants.

The documents and Zhuwao’s admission in an interview with The Standard expose as false claims by Zanu PF ministers including Local Government, Urban and Rural Development minister Ignatius Chombo that the invaders were criminals who were not connected to the party.

Zhuwao was defiant yesterday saying he agreed with people in his constituency to “tackle the racists and this time around we are going to research on the proper procedure and we are going to do it again.”

“Whilst the process and procedure may have needed to be improved, I still feel, together with the community that there is gross social injustice that continues to be perpetrated by remnants of racists in most of the clubs,” he said.

“We will never allow any form of perceived white superiority in any part of this constituency.”

About 300 rowdy people who were waving Zanu PF flags took over lodges, boating clubs and chalets on the shores of the lake saying it was part of the government’s controversial policy to indigenise the economy.

Activities at the popular tourism facilities were brought to a halt until police flushed out the intruders on Monday.

Keep Reading

Vice President Joice Mujuru last week apologised to the owners of the facilities and Zanu PF officials moved in to do some damage control alleging the invaders were common criminals.

But documents obtained by this paper from various sources reveal that Zanu PF and the government were aware of the plans to invade the properties as on January 6 war veterans from the Sally Mugabe district wrote to Lands, Rural Resettlement minister Herbert Murerwa outlining their plans.

In the three page letter signed by Aaron Mazvi who led the invasions, the war veterans make it clear that they are pursuing Zanu PF policies.

Murerwa was asked to facilitate a peaceful take over of the properties.

The letter, titled Occupation of Properties Situated along Lake Chivero” was copied to Zhuwao, National Parks, Mashonaland West Province governor Faber Chidarikire, local chiefs and Zanu PF structures.

Resort owners, among them Kuimba Shiri’s Garry Stafford, were accused of being racist, to justify the invasions.

“We intend to occupy properties along Lake Chivero which have become a hiding place for former Rhodesian war veterans who have maintained their racist tendencies in the area,” said the letter.

“The properties constitute mostly chalets and boating clubs which are operated mostly by white former army and intelligencia (sic).”

Jacana Yacht Club at Lake Chivero, the largest sailing club in the country, had also been simultaneously invaded clearly indicating the organised and co-ordinated manner in which the invasions were taking place.

Club officials Tim Cameron and Frances Morris had to seek the assistance of the toothless Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic), a creation of the government of national unity (GNU). They also reported the matter to the police.

Sources said Zanu PF ministers were set to move into the properties soon as there was no strong opposition to the invasions.

Some of the ministers who had targeted the lodges and the bird sanctuary are already in conservancy and wildlife business, one source said.

Other documents leaked to The Standard show that the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) Zvimba district started initiating the invasions in October last year.

One of the documents shows that the war veterans on October 8 2010 carried out a “fact finding mission.”

Jacana Yacht Club informed Jomic of the disturbances on October 6 2010.

ENDS