Mudede in court over charges of farming equipment theft

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FORMER Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede stands accused of stealing farming equipment worth US$10 000 belonging to a neighbour he allegedly evicted from his Mazowe farm.

Mudede yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi charged with theft.

According to documents, Mudede, who was allocated Subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 13 and RE of Ballinettey Farm in Mazowe measuring 712 hectares, invaded a neighbouring farm.

He was later involved in a heated argument over boundaries with his neighbour Jacquiline Mukanganyama who occupied plot 10 of the same farm.

Mukanganyama, who had benefited from the 2002 Land Reform Programme, was without due process evicted by Mudede who also went on to occupy a farm house which was outside his boundary.

The State further alleges that Mudede took Mukanganyama’s irrigation equipment at the farm that included aluminium pipes, a mono pump 20 horse power, a submersible pump and plates.

The State alleges that Mudede even boasted that he was the then Registrar General and no one would stop him, a sign believed that he was admitting that he was depriving Mukanganyama of her property.

It is the State’s case that efforts to recover the property by Mukanganyama ended in Mudede threatening arrest on her through the then officer in charge at Rhodesville Police Station identified as Inspector Mwenje.

Mukanganyama claims Mwenje sent officers from the Police Support Unit to intimidate and assault her and her workers under the former RG’s orders.

— HMetro