Grace Mugabe confronts gold miners as they seize her farm

ILLEGAL gold miners in Zimbabwe have seized a farm belonging to Grace Mugabe, just four months after her husband, the former president, was ousted from power.

Local media last night reported that hundreds of squatters took over parts of the former first lady’s Smithfield estate in Mazowe, 25 miles north of the capital Harare, and refused to move when she confronted them on Thursday.

Undeterred by the miners, who were waving shovels and machetes at her, Mrs Mugabe ordered them to leave, but they refused, the Daily News reported.

They then uprooted citrus trees and dug tunnels on the property, vowing to remain until Mrs Mugabe offered them work.

“You no longer have any power to remove us,” one of the miners was quoted as saying. “This is the new dispensation – and we do what we want.”

Mrs Mugabe reportedly alerted officers, reportedly stating: “I was shocked to find a group of approximately 400 men busy illegally panning for gold.”

She added: “I asked them to stop since I am the owner of the farm. However, the crowd started to shout obscenities at me and continued with their unlawful activities.”

Robert Mugabe was forced to quit the political scene he had dominated since independence from Britain in 1980 when the military stepped in and ZANU-PF politicians launched impeachment proceedings against their once beloved leader.

The military moved against Mr Mugabe after he sacked Emmerson Mnangagwa, his deputy, apparently to groom his wife as his successor.

Mr Mnangagwa was sworn in as president in November.