A divorce wrangle between President Robert Mugabe's playboy nephew, Farmin B. Hard Leo Mugabe, and his wife of nearly two decades, Veronica, has opened a can of worms and is revealing the extent to which Mugabe's cronies feathered their nests as Zimbabwe descended into impoverishment.
Veronica should hire somebody to start her car.
Divorce papers lodged at the Harare High Court show that Farmin Leo, a member of parliament and the eldest child of Mugabe's ailing sister, Sabina, owns at least three large farms in Mhangura, Makonde and Banket. Farmin Leo has previously firmly denied that he owns more than one farm.
I own two more? Damn Unca Bob! What a nice surprise!
Veronica wants 100 percent ownership of one of the farms and at least 50 percent ownership of another, or equivalent compensation. The third farm would remain in Farmin's Leo's possession. Veronica also wants the livestock, machinery and furniture of all three farms: Nangadza, in Mhangura; Journey's End, in Makonde; and the farm in Banket.
Bitch be crazy she think she be gettin that...
All the farms were forcibly seized from their white owners.
They be guilty of farming while white. Thanks Unca Bob...
The case brings to the fore the curse of multiple farm ownership and people close to Mugabe acquiring several farms with no benefit to the landless. Mugabe has ordered his cronies to surrender extra farms and at one stage instituted an inquiry into multiple farm ownership. Most of the seized farms have been lying fallow, contributing to the collapse of agriculture in Zimbabwe.
Well them white folks never come back to do that plantin shit. Can't blame me for them bein lazy...
Robert Mugabe's cronies, including Farmin Leo, have always denied owning multiple farms - but the divorce case proves otherwise. The court case also proves that Farmin Leo is a very wealthy man by virtue of his shareholding in several blue chip companies, including mobile telecommunications provider Telecel Zimbabwe; engineering giants Stewarts & Lloyds and Integrated Engineering Group; steel dealer Baldwins Steel; and investment firm Themiso Holdings.
Over there, that must make him, like what, a trazillionaire...
Veronica wants 50 percent of Farmin's Leo's holdings in all these companies. Farmin Leo has yet to respond to the papers. He is accused in the court papers of several extra-marital affairs and of fathering children out of wedlock. Veronica says her marital relationship with Mugabe's prominent nephew has broken down irretrievably and that she has been denied "love, respect, affection, companionship and friendship, as is expected between husband and wife". She has also accused Farmin Leo of abandoning his financial and parental responsibilities to his family and wants custody of the children.
Like I say, bitch be crazy she think she be gettin that...
Farmin Leo was the chairman of the committee on transport and communications in Zimbabwe's last parliament. He is also provincial spokesman for Zanu-PF's Mashonaland West, the president's home province. He was a longtime chairperson of the Zimbabwe Football Association before being booted out for misusing a soccer development grant from world soccer body Fifa. He and his younger brother, Workin B. Hard Patrick Zhuwao, are both MPs and their rise in politics is seen as a plan by Mugabe to entrench his dynasty in power.
Now it might get them a place face down in a trench.
Their vast wealth has remained a mystery because they are not known as successful entrepreneurs.
Geez, ya don't say. They must be just really lucky, I guess... |