By Nyasha Chuma
Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe Senior Regulatory Officer Farai Masekela has been arraigned before the High Court accused of unlawfully grazing his “huge herd of cattle” in a neighbours maize fields and causing a loss of Z$1, 5 million.
Masekela’s neighbour Gamanya David Tapera is seeking payment in the sum of Z$985 600.00 being damages for the destruction of his crops at Shayamano Farm Fields – a Small Scale Commercial Area in Chikomba District, Chivhu.
Tapera is also seeking payment of US$3 952.00 being compensation for replanting crops to the damaged area at Shayamano Farm Fields and another Z$464 000.00 being damages for the destruction of his crops at Muhfe Farm Fields also caused by the defendant’s cattle.
It is the applicant’s case that “sometime between December 2020 and May 2021, the Defendant intentionally, with malice, unlawfully grazed his huge herd of cattle in Plaintiffs maize fields.”
The cattle destroyed the maize crop at Shayamano and Muhfe Fields, Tapera claimed in his summons.
Subsequent to the crop damages, Tapera called in Agritex Hampshire Officers to conduct Crop Damage Assessments so as to ascertain the degree of damage to the crops at the fields.
The crop damage assessment reports showed that the total loss was ZWL$985 600.00 and 464 000.00 at Shayamano Farm Fields and Muhfe Fields respectively.
“Further, the Plaintiff had to incur more expenses in December 2020 as he embarked on a mitigation exercise by replanting crops on the area that had been damaged. The total sum for the expenses incurred in the crop replanting exercise was US$ 3 952.00,” reads Tapera’s summons.
The matter is yet to be heard.
