Farmers under investigation

GOVERNMENT has dispatched a team to Chiredzi District to probe reports that hundreds of sugar cane farmers in the Lowveld have been expanding their plots illegally by encroaching onto State land.

This comes as Government has warned farmers that it would repossess land acquired illegally for allocation to landless Zimbabweans.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement Cde Davis Marapira yesterday said Government was concerned about the rampant illegal expansion of farms by sugar cane farmers in the Lowveld.

He said his ministry would take action against the culprits once the probe team has finished compiling its report.

“At the moment all I can say is that scores of cane farmers in the Lowveld illegally expanded their plots and we suspect that there are even more such farmers who illegally encroached into state land in Mkwasine, Hippo Valley and Triangle,” he said.

“Our team was on the ground recently to make investigations and they came up with an initial report and very soon they will be going back again because we want a comprehensive report before moving to repossess all the land that was illegally acquired by the culprits.”

Cde Marapira said Government would not countenance haphazard occupation of state land throughout the county saying the offer letter was the only licence for occupation of land.

“What we are saying is that if your offer letter says you have been allocated 30 hectares or 25 hectares that is what you should only occupy, we will not tolerate people who take over State land, we want order on the farms,” he said.

The deputy minister urged struggling cane farmers to enter into partnerships with their successful counterparts to boost yields. — Herald Reporter.