Staff ReporterThe son of former president Robert Mugabe’s ally has reportedly accused Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF supporters of invading his farm after his father recently defected to the National Patriotic Front (NPF) party.
Former army brigadier, Ambrose Mutinhiri, quit Zanu-PF earlier this year to protest the removal of Mugabe. He was reported to be the leader of the new Mugabe backed political outfit.
Mutinhiri, a veteran of the 1970s war against white minority, was a provincial affairs minister of Mashonaland east province.
Mutinhiri resigned from parliament recently, citing the military intervention that pressured 94-year-old Mugabe into stepping down in November as his reason for cutting ties with the ruling Zanu-PF party
Mutinhiri’s son, Tafara, confirmed that Zanu-PF supporters had invaded his 76-hectare agricultural plot in Picaddily, about 12km outside Marondera
Tafara said his attempts at reporting the suspects were ignored by the police, as they told him that there were staff shortages.
“I realised that I was going to be overpowered since I was alone. I went to report the case to police and asked them to escort me, but they said there was no manpower… Recently, a group of people broke into my house at the farm and ransacked it, they left only curtains,” Tafara was quoted as saying.
But, according to acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Tendai Mwanza they had not received a report from Mutinhiri’s son, the report said.
Zanu-PF provincial youth chairperson, Kelvin Mutsvairo, also said that “he was not aware of the alleged invasion” and would investigate.
