A war veteran is fighting to reclaim his farm from a joint venture partner he calls a land grabber. John Fadzisayi Jani accuses Ryan Mark Ervine of breaching their agreement for Elmswood Kubvoruno Farm in Marondera by withholding revenue shares for two straight seasons despite documented tobacco sales. Jani claims the Ministry of Lands approved terminating the deal for non-performance, but Ervine is using political pull to stay and even remove him from the property.
Their contract required Ervine to fully fund operations and pay Jani six percent of gross output, with failure to meet terms allowing cancellation. Jani alleges Ervine also ignored grazing fees for his cattle herd and colluded with the Marondera Municipality to illegally parcel out residential stands on the agricultural land, a move Jani is challenging in court. He frames the conflict as a betrayal of land reform goals, arguing joint ventures should empower beneficiaries, not enable asset stripping. Ervine and the municipality could not be reached for comment, leaving the dispute as a tense symbol of the risks facing collaborative farming models.
Their contract required Ervine to fully fund operations and pay Jani six percent of gross output, with failure to meet terms allowing cancellation. Jani alleges Ervine also ignored grazing fees for his cattle herd and colluded with the Marondera Municipality to illegally parcel out residential stands on the agricultural land, a move Jani is challenging in court. He frames the conflict as a betrayal of land reform goals, arguing joint ventures should empower beneficiaries, not enable asset stripping. Ervine and the municipality could not be reached for comment, leaving the dispute as a tense symbol of the risks facing collaborative farming models.
