ALAND ownership dispute among members of the ruling Zanu PF party at Somerby Farm, 25km north-west of Harare, degenerated into bloody clashes at the weekend.

Several people were injured and vehicles smashed when a party district chairperson allegedly unleashed violent youths on occupants of Lot 4 at the farm.

The incident was reported at Marimba Police Station under case RR40/23.

Witnesses told NewsDay that the rowdy youths targeted unarmed women and men attacking them with sticks and other weapons.

Six people were reportedly hospitalised after the skirmishes.

The Zanu PF youths also vandalised vehicles belonging to the victims.

Zanu PF Sally Mugabe

district chairperson Passwell Mubaiwa confirmed that he had unleashed the youths to disperse the villagers illegally settled on his property.

Mubaiwa claimed that his company, Global 3 housing Trust, had a government offer letter to subdivide the land into 680 residential stands.

“They came to disrupt our programme and unfortunately, we overpowered them and beat them up,” Mubaiwa said.

“We are all members of Zanu PF. We approached the central government because we know that those people have offer letters for Kilworth Farm which is just a stone’s throw away, but they do not want to stay there. Government sent an inspection which culminated in the land being turned into residential stands but they do not want to move,” he said.

One of the victims, Kelvin Gemhu, said he was nursing a broken limb, adding that he lost valuables when his homestead was ransacked by the party activists.

“They openly told us that the police won’t do anything because they are protected at Zanu PF headquarters. We are all members of the ruling party, but at one point, I reported them and I ended up being the one arrested,” he said.

“They destroyed the doors and took my phones, gas stove and laptops,” he said.

Gemhu said they had stayed at the farm for more than 20 years.

“We have offer letters for the land, but these land barons are using the President’s name to take our land. They are saying they have been sent by the President to take our farm,” he said.

Another victim, Etnara Zulu, said she was now afraid to go to the shops.

“We are afraid of them, we can’t even go to the shops, we are afraid even to use a community well because they threatened to poison it,” Zulu said.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was yet to receive the report.

Contacted for comment, Zanu PF acting information director Farai Marapira urged party members to resolve their differences amicably.

“Zanu PF is a party of love and harmony guided by the party constitution. We urge our members to solve their disputes in peace and let the law take its course,” he said.

In February, President Emmerson Mnangagwa revealed that top government officials were involved in land scams, and warned that the long arm of the law would catch up with them.