THE MINISTER of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Anxious Masuka is under fire for endorsing the ‘farm grab’ of former minister Ignatious Chombo’s farm in Mashonaland West.
Sources allege that his policy inconsistency in the Chombo case needs to be investigated.
Masuka recently moved to cancel a 99-year-lease agreement of Ignatius Chombo’s 3 098 hectare Zvimba farm with the intention to divide the farm for redistribution.
In a letter to Chombo dated June 21, Masuka said the ministry was canceling the lease agreement to also retain the rights of the former minister’s wife Marian Chombo “as holder of an equal joint and undivided share in the leasehold following divorce proceedings.”
Chombo was granted a 99-year-lease agreement of the farm during the time he was Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development in 2006.
Masuka accepted that there is a tripartite agreement entered into with investors PHI, Chombo and the Ministry.
It was further agreed by the Ministry that it would not cancel the lease for 18 years, but despite all this.
Masuka still moved to “grab’ the farm in complete negation of the ministry’s approval of the joint venture.
