The Commercial Farmers Union of Zimbabwe said Tuesday that it is examining avenues of appeal following the dismissal late last week by Supreme Court Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku of its application seeking an end to new farm seizures.
Commercial Farmers Union President Deon Theron said the group's only hope now was to appeal to the Namibian-based Southern African Development Community tribunal.
But approaching the tribunal could be futile at least in the near term as the ZANU-PF side of the Harare government has dismissed a 2008 SADC ruling ordering Harare to compensate white farmers who had lost land through often-violent farm takeovers.
Theron told VOA reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that commercial farmers were disappointed with the ruling, in effect a green light for seizures of the white-owned farms that have not yet been taken over - a few hundred compared with several thousand before 2000.
Meanwhile, Web-based news agency ZimOnline reported that President Robert Mugabe, top officials of his ZANU-PF party, senior military officers and judges have been the main beneficiaries of land reform with 5 million hectares of land among them.
ZimOnline reported that about 2,200 people now control almost half of the most fertile land seized from white commercial farmers. It said President Mugabe and his wife Grace own 14 farms accounting for a total of nearly 16,000 hectares of land.
The Web news agency said seven are in Mr. Mugabe's home province of Mashonaland West and the rest are in Mashonaland Central province.
Vice President Joyce Mujuru, her husband Solomon and their relatives own at least 25 farms for a combined land area of 105,000 hectares.
Other multiple farm owners include Vice President John Nkomo. Properties he controls include the Jijima wildlife sanctuary, which he seized from a black commercial farmer.
ZimOnline Editor Abel Mutsakani told VOA Studio 7 reporter Patience Rusere that only 150,000 ordinary Zimbabwean have benefited from the land reform program, and that most of them received between 10 and 50 hectares of land.
Former CFU president Trevor Gifford said the ZimOnline report shows that land reform was intended to benefit the few at the expense of ordinary black Zimbabweans.
LIST OF ZIMBABWE’S TOP FARM OWNERS
*The list is not exhaustive as district land officers who have the knowledge of farm owners in any given district were in some cases unwilling to disclose such details for fear of possible reprisals.
NAME FARM SIZE AREA
R. MUGABE Gushungo Estates 4046ha Darwendale
Gushungo Dairies 1000ha Mazowe
Iron MasK 1046ha Mazowe
Sigaru Farm 873ha Mazowe
Gwebi Wood 1200ha Mazowe
Gwina Farm 1445ha Banket
Leverdale Farm1488ha Mazowe
Highfield 445ha Norton
Cressydale Estate676ha Norton
Tankatara 575ha Norton
Clifford 1050ha Norton
John O’Groat Farm760h Norton
Bassiville 1200ha Mazowe
S & M. MUJURU Alamein Farm 1300ha Beatrice
JOHN NKOMO Gijima Lodge xxx Hwange
SIMON KHAYA MOYO Marula Block 36 2034ha Bulilamangwe
CABINET MINISTERS
Joseph Made Tara Farm 840ha Odzi
Emmerson Mnangagwa Sherwood Farm 1600ha Kwekwe
Francis Nhema Nyamanda 1000ha Karoi
Stanislaus Mudenge Chikore Farm 760ha Masvingo
Kembo Mohadi Jopembe Block 3000ha Beitbridge
Benlynian Range 3200ha Beitbridge
Patrick Chinamasa Tsukumai 800ha Headlands
Nyamazura 1260ha Rusape
Hebert Murerwa Rise Holm 1100ha Arcturus
Ignatius Chombo Allan Grange 3000ha Banket
Oldham 400ha Chegutu
Shingwiri 1600ha Chegutu
Webster Shamu Lambourne Farm 1340ha Selous
Tobacco Estate 900ha Chegutu
Obert Mpofu Young Farm 2300ha Nyamandlovu
Umguza Block 39, 40, 41 6200ha Umguza
Auchenberg 1026ha Nyamandlovu
Sithembiso Nyoni Fountain Farm 3100ha Insiza
Walter Mzembi BW Farm 720ha Masvingo
Nicholas Goche Ceres Farm xxx Shamva
Savior Kasukuwere Conucorpia Farm 100ha Mazowe
Harmony Farm 500ha Mazowe
Didymus Mutasa
Sydney Sekeramayi Maganga Farm 620ha Marondera
Edna Madzongwe Aitape Farm 2000ha Chegutu
Coburn Estates Plot 13A560ha Chegutu
Bourne Farm 445ha Chegutu
Mpofu Farm 1200ha Chegutu
Stockdale Farm 750ha Chegutu
Reyden Farm 1340ha
SECURITY SERVICES
Constantine Chiwenga Chakoma Estates 1276ha Goromonzi
Perence Shiri Bamboo Creek 1950ha Shamva
Eirin Farm 1460ha Marondera
Augustine Chihuri Woodlands Farm xxx Shamva
Paradzayi Zimondi Upton Farm 1029ha Goromonzi
Happyton Bonyongwe Thetford Farm
Henry Muchena Serui Drift 1500ha Chegutu
Abu Basutu Swallowfork Ranch 2711ha West Nicholson
Elson Moyo Daisy Farm 1600ha Chegutu
JUDGES
Godfrey Chidyausiku Estes Park 895ha Concession
Luke Malaba Marula Block 35 1866ha Bulilamangwe
Paddington Garwe Faun Farm 760ha Chegutu
Antonia Guvava Harndale Farm 1000ha Chegutu
Mafios Cheda Marula Block 37 3039ha Bulilamangwe
Ben Hlatshwayo Kent Estate 800ha Norton
Charles Hungwe Little England 6956ha Makonde
Chitakunye Alfias The Grange 1300ha Chegutu
PROVINCIAL GOVERNORS
David Karimanzira Arcadia Farm 1300ha Marondera
Cain Mathema Gwayi Ranch 4600ha Gwayi
Umguza Block 3700ha Umguza
Chris Mushohwe Kondozi Farm 400ha Odzi
Titus Maluleke Clipshap Farm 3000ha Masvingo
Thokozile Mathutu Dete Valley Farm 2800ha Dete
Anthonia Extension6500ha Umguza
Angeline Masuku Wollendale Farm 3000ha Gwanda
Cephas Msipa Cheshire Farm 2100ha Gweru
ZANU-PF/GOVT HIGH RANKING OFFICIAL
Reward Marufu Leopards Vlei 1294ha Glendale
Kachere Farm 880ha Mazowe
Sabina Mugabe Mlembwe Farm 1037ha Makonde
Longwood Farm 924ha Makonde
Gowrie Farm 430ha Norton
Leo Mugabe Diandra 815ha Darwandale
Nangadza 1200ha Mhangura
Journey’s End 3000ha Makonde
Patrick Zhuwao Marivale Farm 244ha Mazowe
George Charamba Battlefields 02 1572ha Kwekwe
Nathan Shamuyarira Mt Carmel xxx Chegutu
Bright Matonga Lions Vlei 2000ha Chegutu
Amos Midzi Magudu Ranch 10701ha Chiredzi
Dick Mafios Insingizi Farm 1100ha Bindura
Melfort 554ha Mazowe
Joseph Chinotimba Watakai 1240ha Mazowe
Happison Muchechetere Burry Hill Estate 617ha Makonde
Tobaiwa Mudede Ballineety 3147ha Nyabira
Austin Zvoma Chinomwe Estates 1432ha Makonde
Mariyawanda Nzuwa Stella Burton 425ha Mazowe
David Parirenyatwa Rudolphia 802ha Murewa
Charles Utete Rudzimi 3350ha Lomagundi
Paddy Zhanda Chipfumbi Meadows1364ha Goromonzi
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