HARARE – Workers at President Robert Mugabe’s farm, Gushungo Dairy Estate Holdings, have poured cold water on recent reports that the veteran president and his wife Grace, a former typist, are model farmers. They said this after Mugabe commissioned a new state-of-the-art milking parlour sourced from South Africa last week, amid praises from his fawning ministers that Zimbabweans needed to emulate the Mugabes for “taking farming seriously”.
The farm in Mazowe, formerly known as Foyle Farm, was seized from Ian Webster and was at the time one of the best dairy estates in the world. Speaking on condition of anonymity, workers told The Zimbabwean this week that the Mugabes’ “success” was based on free money acquired from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, and free labour taken from government-run agricultural enterprises such as ARDA.
A former manager at Gushungo Dairy Holdings, told this newspaper that over the last four years and on the instruction of Grace Mugabe, he and other managers applied for loans amounting to several million South African Rands from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in their individual capacities. “When we asked Grace if we would not end up being saddled with her personal
debts, she would always tell us that she had already spoken to people at the Reserve Bank and that the money was awaiting collection,” he said. Several employees had accompanied Grace to South Africa to identify the milking parlour, one of the top two in Africa. “The highlights of our visit to South Africa to identify different farming equipment were the shopping binges that we would do as the woman was generous with the free funds,” added the manager, who, although he was contracted to and paid by ARDA, spent all his time working for the Mugabes. “So really for the politicians to mislead the nation that the First Family are good farmers is simply not true. For quite a long time we provided free labour at the expense of the taxpayer, while money was being taken from the RBZ.”
A current employee at the farm said the trend had not changed. Agricultural experts from state enterprises were still being seconded to work at the estate. “It is so crude to the point that agriculture minister, Joseph Made, is essentially the President’s farm manager. He spends most of his time supervising workers from government agricultural institutions,” said the employee. Local government minister, Ignatius Chombo, was at a loss for words after seeing the equipment sourced using free RBZ funds.
“I have never seen a dairy of this kind. It’s a major challenge to all farmers. It has to be emulated. I am extremely impressed,” he said.
Mashonaland Central governor, Martin Dinha, also became tongue-tied after touring the complex. He was quoted in a local newspaper as saying: “Gushungo dairy gives us a lot of proud (sic) as a province.”
Mugabe is HIV positive. Chris Kuruneri worked Grace very hard and infected her. Sorry Mugabe you are now old and ill. How do you sleep at night with the woman who killed you.
what esle can you expect from a thug a thief and a murderer.
colossal deposits at the RBZ will always be Mugabe’s how does someone fail to run a business when he has more than what the business requires, it is obvious this guy is doing for pride sake and nothing else if this is true
God will judge you Mugabe, you killed people, took money from the reserve bank while the country is starving. You are cruel, heartless and evil. We aware of Grace’s deals where she gave money to his cousins to resort areas and safaris. I am telling you we are going to take back all this staff. Gara hako pacgigaro ufirepo nokuti ukabva Robati, we are coming for you. Zvizive umbahva hwenyu tinouziva.
Shephered, Grace could be HIV positive but how would Mugabe get the virus? Do you think Grace and Mkuru have sexual relationship? I doubt very much
Once again this is a disappointment on the part of you Mr. Editor. We are all complaining about the previous government’s gross violation of our rights to privacy and dignity but we allow people to denigrate the head of state (even if he is unelected). I am against the use of HIV to insult and denigrate people. HIV positive people are mere human beings who happen to have another infection and they deserve to be treated with dignity. One’s HIV status is also private and confidentiality. Mr Editor these type of bloggs must be deleted if we are to have media reform in Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe and Grace may be using cheap labour or cheap funds as you allege but they are still successful farmers. Robert is a failure as a president but we must at least give him credit where he has succeded. Who knows this may encourage him to retire and concentrate on farming and not ruining the country. One word of advice for our unelected leader, please Sir drink as much milk as you can from your dairy cows as it will help your symptoms of dementia.