Former Water Resources Minister Munacho Mutezo, once a senior figure under the late President Robert Mugabe, is on the verge of losing key farm equipment and livestock after the High Court dismissed his bid to block an asset auction tied to a US$750,000 debt.
The debt originates from a lawsuit filed by Des Moines Farm, which claims it invested in infrastructure improvements at Mutezo’s Fernicary Farm (also known as Rutendo Farm) in Manicaland Province. The High Court previously ruled that the farm must pay US$455,000 plus interest and legal fees.
Mutezo tried to prevent the sheriff from auctioning off assets at his Odzi-based farm, arguing that key equipment had been issued under the 2007–2008 government mechanisation programme and should be considered state property.
The attached property includes:
John Deere 4×4 tractor
Combine harvester
500kVA transformer
Industrial generator
Welding machines
Water pumps
PVC irrigation pipes
And 18 head of cattle (including heifers, calves, and a bull)
In court, Mutezo insisted that several of the items were government-issued, and that he had simply managed them on behalf of the state and local farmers.
But Justice Samuel Deme threw out Mutezo’s interpleader application last week, siding with Des Moines Farm, which labelled his defense a “grave misrepresentation.”
“There is no evidence proving the assets belong to the government,” the court ruled. “The claimant is no longer a government official and cannot invoke state ownership in a personal debt matter.”
Des Moines Farm also criticized Mutezo’s failure to cite the government as a party to the dispute, calling it a deliberate tactic to shield assets from lawful execution.
Mutezo, expelled from ZANU PF in 2016 for allegedly backing Joice Mujuru, is now linked to the opposition Zimbabwe People First. His political fall from grace and financial woes highlight the precarious legacy of Zimbabwe’s controversial farm mechanisation programme, which saw billions in state loans issued with little transparency or accountability.
