Eight men landed behind bars after police caught them building a barbed wire fence at a dead diplomat's farm. Courts kept the suspects locked up until Monday when their trial begins. The men face criminal trespassing charges for invading part of the 424-hectare Elvington Farm. Police say the group worked with an army colonel to grab land that belonged to late national hero Tichaona Jokonya. Jokonya bought the property back in 1992 and held proper title deeds.
The suspects are Cephas Ndiripo, Newton Mafoti, Honest Tarugarira, Ashley Chimbare, Dean Nyagona, Naison Mbara, Panashe Weju and Aaron Mushamu. Ages range from 22 to 47 years old. Courts told police to check where these men actually live and verify a fake government letter they claimed to have. The letter supposedly came from the Lands ministry. Farm workers first spotted the intruders on June 6 but they ran away when police showed up.
The men came back on June 25 and continued putting up their fence. Farm managers called police again and officers arrested all eight suspects. The men told police that Shadreck Chimbare from Chivhu hired them for the job. Family members say Chimbare takes orders from army colonel Kennedy Makavange. Jokonya served as Zimbabwe's ambassador to the United Nations before becoming Information minister in 2005 and died in a Harare hotel room.
The suspects are Cephas Ndiripo, Newton Mafoti, Honest Tarugarira, Ashley Chimbare, Dean Nyagona, Naison Mbara, Panashe Weju and Aaron Mushamu. Ages range from 22 to 47 years old. Courts told police to check where these men actually live and verify a fake government letter they claimed to have. The letter supposedly came from the Lands ministry. Farm workers first spotted the intruders on June 6 but they ran away when police showed up.
The men came back on June 25 and continued putting up their fence. Farm managers called police again and officers arrested all eight suspects. The men told police that Shadreck Chimbare from Chivhu hired them for the job. Family members say Chimbare takes orders from army colonel Kennedy Makavange. Jokonya served as Zimbabwe's ambassador to the United Nations before becoming Information minister in 2005 and died in a Harare hotel room.
