A war veteran and resettled farmer who recently attended an MDC-T rally in Gweru where he was introduced as a freedom fighter has been ordered by the local Zanu PF leadership in Marondera East to vacate his farm.
Regis Musengeyi of Plot 1, Cotter Farm in Mashonaland East, was issued with eviction orders by the local Zanu PF and war veteran leadership on charges of being a traitor, at a highly charged Zanu PF meeting held near Masomera Business Centre at the weekend.
During the meeting, which a NewZimbabwe.com correspondent attended, Zanu PF supporters who were mostly small-scale resettled farmers, were told that Musengeyi, had last month attended an MDC-T rally at Mkoba Stadium in Gweru, which was addressed by Morgan Tsvangirai, the party's president.
At the MDC-T rally, the weekend meeting heard, several people including Musengeyi were introduced as former freedom fighters who were now MDC-T officials.
Musengeyi is reported to have made claims at the MDC-T rally that he had operated in Wedza district during the armed struggle.
However, one Wilson Chingarare, who was introduced at the Zanu PF meeting as a detachment commander in Wedza during the liberation war, rubbished claims that Musengeyi was a war veteran saying he never met him in operation during the war in Wedza.
"He was never part of the freedom fighters who operated in Wedza where I was the detachment commander. He is a fake as I know everyone who operated in Wedza at the time," Chingarare told the Zanu PF supporters.
Several allegations were also raised by the local ruling party leadership against Musengeyi who was, however, not present at the meeting, including charges that he had illegally sold land to several people in Marondera urban and that he had attended the Mkoba rally with his girlfriend, leaving his wife at home.
It was then resolved that Musengeyi should be immediately ordered to leave his farm as MDC-T members were not allowed in the area.
The resettled farmers who attended the meeting were also told that they would face eviction if they attended any opposition party events in future.
