The Sunday News
SPORT, Arts and Culture Minister Cde Andrew Langa and former Zanu-PF Matabeleland South secretary for lands Cde Jabulani Phetshu-Sibanda allegedly created five unregistered villages and imposed 17 village heads who illegally sold over 2 000 stands in Insiza District.
This was revealed during a meeting that was called by Chief Jahana to announce that he had fired 28 village heads who were selling land for between $600 and $1 000 or for a single beast. During the meeting, some of the fired village heads alleged that they had been working at the instigation of Minister Langa and Cde Petshu-Sibanda.
Cde Langa, who is also the Insiza North member of the National Assembly, was suspended from being the party’s Matabeleland South provincial chairperson together with Cde Phetshu last year for allegedly working with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru to topple President Mugabe.
The meeting, which was meant to address the land scam that was exposed by this publication, was also attended by Chief Sibasa, Insiza Rural District Council chair Clr Daniel Mpofu, national deputy secretary for lands in the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association Cde Dennis Ndlovu, officer commanding police in Gwanda District Superintendent Stephen Mutema and members of the district lands committee.
Supt Mutema, who was leading a group of police officers charged with investigating the matter, urged villagers to come forward and report everyone who had illegally sold land, noting that in the past they had faced a problem where reports were made but they lacked concrete evidence.
“Our role is to preserve peace and ensure that unity prevails in the community, no one is above the law. With regard to this land issue, I encourage you to come forward and give us names and evidence of the people who sold land. As the police we deal with legal matters not hearsay, therefore give us evidence and we will do justice to the matter,” said Supt Mutema.
During the meeting, villagers accused Cde Phetshu-Sibanda, of being a bully, saying in most cases he went to the extent of appointing village heads in non-existent villages.
Village head Mr Elliot Sibanda who, according to documents, illegally allocated 315 stands, said: “I told Langa and Phetshu that what they were doing was wrong. I warned them that these people, whom they were bringing to us, once their illegal act was discovered and these people were meant to go, they would have to settle them on their farms.
“In one instance, Minister Langa came with a truck full of people saying I must find land for them. He told me I would be given cows for this. At one point I even told Phetshu that if I was ever arrested it would be after both him and Minister Langa were arrested. People might say I sold land but that is not true. Phetshu is the one who knows the whole story.”
A villager, Mr Richard Dube, claimed that Minister Langa had settled some people on his farm. In fear of exposing the minister, Mr Dube said, he had to keep quiet.
“As I am speaking today, there are people on my farm who were settled by Langa. These people are now taking that farm as if it is theirs. In some cases, they cut trees unnecessarily and I can’t properly plan on how I want to manage my farm. I therefore want you to assist me in taking these people out of my farm,” said Mr Dube.
Another villager, Mrs Zodwa Ncube said Mr Clifford Matshona, who is also part of the clique that allegedly illegally sold stands, used to boast that there was nothing that was going to happen to him as he was being protected by Minister Langa and Cde Phetshu-Sibanda.
“Matshona used to tell us that he walks, talks, and what he dresses is all about Zanu-PF. He clearly told us if people were to go to jail, it would be Minister Langa first, followed by Phetshu and then him, which he declared was very impossible. Phetshu told us that he is the manager of the constituency and everyone is settled in this area all because of him.
“At one point we were even told that people were being given land as a bonus for working for Zanu-PF. We are being threatened with death and being told that we are lizards. We were told in one of the meetings that no matter what we do or whom we report to, there was nothing we could do,” she said.
In his response, Mr Matshona, who also attended the meeting, confessed that he had been in the forefront of illegally settling people but said in most of the cases he had been following orders from Cde Phetshu-Sibanda. “People asked me to go and ask for land for their children from the district lands committee since some of their children were old enough to have their households. I allocated a few children stands but the rest you should talk to Phetshu not me,” he said. Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association deputy secretary for lands, Cde Denis Ndlovu, bemoaned the scam that had rocked the area, saying the law should urgently take its course.
“If you remember both Cde Langa and Cde Phetshu were suspended by the party. It is because of such acts. What has been happening here is very disappointing honestly, how can someone sell land that we all fought for. This issue has to be dealt with immediately before it blows out of proportion, all those who engaged in this act must be arrested because we cannot allow thieves to roam around and think they are above the law,” said Cde Ndlovu.
Contacted for comment, Cde Phetshu denied the allegations and once again boasted that if he was guilty, the law should deal with him.
“The issue to do with land should be reported to the police not to the Press. If there are people who bought land, they should go and report the matter to the police. People cannot say that I am above the law and I cannot be arrested. I am always in police cells for committing different crimes,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from Minister Langa were fruitless as he initially indicated that he was in a meeting but later his mobile phone went unanswered.
