By Everson Mashava
Violence broke out at the late former President Robert Mugabe’s farm on the outskirts of Harare on Saturday night, resulting in the injury of a farm security worker.
The worker was allegedly hacked with machetes by unknown assailants. But earlier in the day, suspected Zanu PF activists had invaded the property.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the incident.
“I can confirm that police are investigating the disturbances that occurred at the farm. The matter was reported at Borrowdale Police Station. We are informed there were some gunshots and the relevant department is investigating the matter,” Nyathi said.
The invaders, who had blocked the entrance with tyres and various objects and were conducting searches to vehicles getting in and out of the farm adjacent to the Pomona Barracks, resisted eviction leading to a scuffle that lasted for close to an hour.
During the ensuing melee, one of Mugabe’s workers was attacked with a machete and was rushed to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
“We took him (the attacked worker) to Parirenyatwa Hospital, but was not attended to since there were no doctors. We ended up taking him to private doctors for attention,” a worker said.
One Marufu, who is the manager at the farm, refused to speak, saying he needed clearance first.
Mugabe’s widow, former First Lady Grace is battling to keep her husband’s empire intact, with Zanu PF supporters pushing to take over the family’s farms.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week told a Zanu PF rally in Kadoma that Mugabe’s family might be forced to relinquish all its farms, serve for one.
Mugabe, who died in Singapore in September, owned several commercial farms that were seized from white Zimbabweans at the height of the 2000 chaotic land reform programme.
Some of the farms are in Mazowe district where the family has set up an upmarket dairy project, which, however, is under threat from gold panners and former land owners.
Grace led a Zanu PF faction that temporarily pushed Mnangagwa out of the ruling party and government in 2017 before he bounced back following a military coup. NewsDay
