Mugabe gave white farms to 'violent' associates

An inquiry into President Robert Mugabe's land reforms in Zimbabwe has uncovered massive corruption in the allocation of farms seized from white farmers, ostensibly for the resettlement of landless black peasants.

The black farmers, originally resettled on the farms, are being evicted to pave the way for Mr Mugabe's cronies, many of whom own up to five farms.

In Zimbabwe's tobacco-producing Mashonaland province, about 90 formerly productive white farms are lying idle because Mr Mugabe's associates are arguing about how to carve up the spoils.

Mr Mugabe ordered the land audit report – a full copy of which was obtained exclusively by The Independent – but is unlikely to act on it, according to an official. The report details how Abednico Ncube, the Deputy Foreign Minister and one of Mr Mugabe's chief associates,ordered officials responsible for confiscating land in his province to designate two white-owned hotels in the area for seizure. This was "a violation of the National Land Policy and the Land Acquisition Act", the report said.

The report also found that Chris Pasipamire, a Mugabe supporter and senior official of an association representing Mr Mugabe's war veterans, had "violently" evicted 36 peasants resettled on a seized farm.

Sithembiso Nyoni, a junior minister, had seized a farm with an established infrastructure to produce poultry, livestock and citrus. The farm had been earmarked to become an agricultural skills training centre for unemployed youths.

"It is disturbing to note that violence is the order of the day on this farm with hired thugs driven in ... by the honorable minister," the report said. Edward Chindori-Chininga a minister and Mugabe loyalist, removed peasants and expropriated a 500ha farm.

Saviour Kasukuwere, the deputy head of Mr Mugabe's violent youth wing, owns three farms. He had also evicted peasants who had been resettled, according to the report.

Perence Shiri, commander of the air force, was allocated a farm at the expense of 96 families who were evicted. Twenty-one peasant families have been evicted to make way forSydney Sekeramayi, the Defence Minister.

Kembo Mohadi, the Home Affairs Minister, Ignatius Chombo, the Local Government Minister, Josiah Hungwe, a minister for Masvingo province, Elliot Manyika, a minister in the department of employment and his deputy Shuvai Mahofa, Jonathan Moyo, the Information Minister and many more friends of Mr Mugabe are owners of anything between two to five farms each. Mr Mugabe's sister, Sabina, has three.

The inquiry asked Mr Mugabe to take action but middle-ranking officials in the Ministry of Agriculture said Mr Mugabe had done nothing. The report was handed to him about two months ago.

"If he had to act, he will probably have to fire his entire cabinet and he would be left with no cronies to boot-lick him. It's unlikely he will do that," said one official. "There are many of his close associates involved in this mass-scale looting who are not even mentioned in the report."