On 31 October 2015, Zanu-PF district elections in Dzivaresekwa turned
chaotic when party supporters clashed over the poll outcome. Zanu-PF
supporters of the two sides of the contestants fought each other. Despite
that, the party outcome, in favour of one, Shepherd Hungwe, was
upheld.
Manicaland
Intra-party conflict within Zanu-PF is rife in the province, as in others,
following the emergence of a “G40” that is allegedly aligned to the First Lady
Grace Mugabe. “G40” members are believed to be targeted at destroying the
Mnangagwa faithfuls while building a Grace Mugabe base.
In Manicaland it is believed that Energy Minister and Chimanimani legislator,
Samuel Undenge, and Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister and Makoni South
Member of Parliament, Mandy Chimene, are the main faces of the “G40”, while
Environment Minister, Oppah Muchinguri, is alleged to be a front for
Mnangagwa. It is believed it is for this reason the First Lady’s Manicaland rally
took place in Chimanimani - Undenge’s constituency.
Apart from factionalism both covert and overt, the environment in the province
has been characterised by cases of malicious damage to property, where
peasant farmers have infringed upon private property rights by resettling
themselves on private land belonging to Border Timbers, Wattle Company,
Mutare Board and Paper Mills and Allied Timbers. Invaders have set on fire
more than 14 000 hectares of exotic trees. Affected plantations are in
Chimanimani, Penhalonga, Chipinge and Nyanga.
While some may be burning the plantations in order to plant maize, timber
producers in the area said they could not rule out mischief. Popular theories in
the area are that the fires are an effort by illegal settlers to drive the land
owners off the land.
Highlights:
Invaders set on fire more than 14 000 hectares of exotic trees in
plantations in Chimanimani, Penhalonga, Chipinge and Nyanga (as noted
above). The tree plantations were due for harvesting and this has caused
huge losses to the companies. The settlers are cutting down trees and
clearing land primarily for purposes of growing maize. It is believed the
idea is to force the land owners and government to resettle them there.
Johnson Mhungu of the Timber Producers’ Federation, a conglomeration
of 19 timber countries, confirmed the fires to ZPP and said that while
there was a general belief that the “illegal settlers” wanted land to
cultivate, the Federation could not rule out malice and sabotage as also
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