Staff reporter
Several vehicles and farm equipment belonging to Mazowe based Gushungo Dairy Farm will be on this Saturday sold by public auction under circumstances yet to be established.
The auction has generated a rumour that since the Gushungo Dairy has been riddled with debts, the auction is to defray some of them.
The farm, which belongs to the former first family, processes dairy products which range from ice cream and yoghurt trading under the name Alpaha and Omega.
In an auction notice, the auctioneers, Ruby Auctions said: “Duly instructed by our most valued client, we shall sell by public auction the following vehicles and farm equipment at Gushungo Dairy Farm on Saturday 11th May 2019 at 10.00am.”
However, the auctioneers could not reveal who instructed them to sell the properties, leading to speculations that it could be the former first family trying to get rid of the old equipment and vehicles.
Ruby Auctions listed a long list of vehicles and equipment to be auctioned. This raised questions on how the former first family acquired the equipment and vehicles.
Among the vehicles and equipment to be sold are several Toyota Hilux D4D, Ford Rangers, Mazda trucks, Mercedes Benz, Land Rovers, several heavy duty trucks, several motorcycles, Tractors, combine harvesters, planters and dozers among others.
Gushungo Farm has been in controversy for long. It was established following the eviction of 80 newly resettled farmers in 2012. Grace Mugabe has been expanding the estate through continuous eviction of neighbouring small-scale farmers.
The Mugabes are alleged to have 14 farms with a total hectarage of 16 000 ha.
The auctioning of the Mugabes’ farm equipment has been received with joy by some citizens who openly celebrated on social media. Some argue that the coincidence that the dairy collapses soon after Mugabe’s exit from State House shows that it was being sustained by tax payers’ money.
The estate has recently been reported to be on the verge of collapse as it was struggling to keep afloat. The workforce has been down-sized with the retained workers going for months without salaries, which themselves have been halved.
