Evicted Zimbabwe farmer still stranded

Evicted Figtree commercial farmer David Conolly says he is still being barred from visiting his farm in Matabeleland South province by representatives of a top official in President Robert Mugabe’s Office.

Connolly says his lawyers are working on the case while the farm remains in the hands of a group of militant youths allegedly deployed by Deputy Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Ray Ndlukula.

He says some of the cultivated crops, which include tomatoes and cabbages, have not been watered for more than four days while his proposed dairy farming project is now in jeopardy.

Ndlukula maintains that he was allocated the land by the government early this year.

He says time will come for him to clearly spell out his side of the story. The farm was allegedly earmarked for designation in 2003.

Zimbabwe embarked on a land reform programme in 2000, which has seen the displacement of thousands of white commercial workers by black occupants largely said to be linked with President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party. VOA