Obert Mpofu accused of stealing produce from Esidakeni Farm
Siphosami Malunga, one of the owners of Esidakeni Farm in Matebeleland North has accused top Zanu PF official Obert Mpofu of stealing farm produce at the disputed property.
Malunga, who is the director of Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) on Tuesday posted on his Twitter handle alleging that Mpofu stormed the farm and took a haul of tonnes of onions, butternuts and cabbages almost ready for the market.
“When Dr Obert Mpofu invaded our farm, Esidakeni and chased us out and installed armed guards, we had just started to harvest our 800 tonnes of onions, 200 tonnes of butternuts with 7 5000 cabbages almost ready to harvest. He took it all. Everything!,” Malunga said.
When @DrObertMpofu invaded our farm #Esidakeni and chased us out and installed armed guards we had just started to harvest our 800tonnes of onion; 200tonnes of butternut with 75000 cabbages almost ready to harvest. He took it all. Everything! pic.twitter.com/JsasqaytII
— Siphosami Malunga (@SiphoMalunga) August 29, 2022
Malunga and his business partners Zephaniah Dhlamini and Charles Moyo were recently charged with illegal occupation of state land despite a Supreme Court consent that the Esidakeni Farm belongs to them.
The Zanu-PF secretary for administration has seemingly refused to vacate the property despite two Supreme and High Court orders for him to do so.
Mpofu did not respond when Nehanda Radio contacted him for a comment.
Mpofu and his wife Sikhanyisiwe grabbed 145 hectares of the contested 550 hectares and occupied positioning guards at the gate.
Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuku acquired the farm through a Notice of Acquisition General Notice 3042 of 2020 in the Government Gazette on December 18, 2020 and handed it over to his company Mswelangubo Farm, which he owns with his wife, who was allocated 154 hectares.
