CHATSWORTH – The wheel appears to have turned full circle for the family of the late ZANU-PF politician Shuvai Mahofa, whose children now face the potential loss of a farm she seized from a white farmer in Chatsworth. John Paradza, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, is allegedly orchestrating a takeover of the property, claiming it is for a youth project.
The move has sparked controversy and raised questions about land tenure in Zimbabwe, where the ZANU-PF party has often used land as a political tool, rewarding loyalty and punishing dissent. The situation highlights the insecurity that persists under the land reform programme, where land ownership can be precarious and subject to the whims of powerful politicians.
Ward 7 councillor Ticharwa Kagu confirmed that Paradza is advocating for the establishment of a youth project on the farm. Adding to the intrigue, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) recently drilled a borehole at the Mahofa homestead on Saturday, 28 June 2025.
Sources suggest that Mahofa’s daughter, Fungai Masendeke-Mahofa, is vehemently opposing the move and recently confronted Paradza over the issue. However, efforts to obtain a comment from Fungai have been unsuccessful. Similarly, attempts to reach Paradza for comment have been fruitless.
A source close to the situation claims that the proposed youth programme is merely a pretext for Paradza’s eventual takeover of the property. The farm reportedly includes a large farmhouse, extensive land, and tobacco barns that Mahofa had converted into a school named Tariro Primary before her death on 14 August 2017.
Some sources allege that Mahofa, through her late daughter Erita, who worked in the President’s Office, seized two adjacent farms, Lauder and Rancho. Mahofa then purportedly ceded a large portion of Lauder Farm to the community through Chief Serima, retaining the remaining part for herself. It is alleged that members of Chief Serima’s community have been vandalising structures at the homestead in Lauder Farm.
Kagu confirmed that a borehole was drilled near a homestead in Lauder, where relatives of the late Shuvai Mahofa claim ownership. He stated that the borehole was part of the Honourable Member of Parliament’s project under the Presidential Youth Programme.
Kagu explained that youths were instructed to identify a site for community gardening on a 1-hectare piece of land, and the selected site was subsequently surveyed. He insisted that the farm did not belong to Mahofa, claiming that her farm, Rancho, was adjacent to Lauder.
“Lauder farm does not belong to the late Shuvai Mahofa. Her farm, Rancho is next to Lauder and the borehole was drilled at an area where there is a homestead where government workers are currently residing. She was a caretaker at that farm for almost 10 years,” Kagu stated.
However, other sources maintain that Mahofa possessed numerous farms around Masvingo, including the two in question, a wildlife farm in Bikita, and sugarcane farms in Chiredzi.
The late Shuvai Mahofa was a prominent figure in Zimbabwean politics, joining the National Democratic Party in 1960 and later becoming a member of ZANU-PF. She served as a war collaborator during the liberation struggle and held various government positions, including Deputy Minister of Women Affairs and Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs. At the time of her death, she had four children and 27 grandchildren.
Rumours surrounding Mahofa’s death suggested that she may have been a victim of suspected food poisoning at a party function that occurred a month prior. It was also alleged that she had been accused and threatened by Grace Mugabe for undermining her and omitting her name in party slogans.
Mahofa collapsed and was rushed to Makurira Hospital, where she passed away in the early hours of the morning.
The current dispute over the farm in Chatsworth raises questions about the legacy of Shuvai Mahofa and the complexities of land ownership in Zimbabwe. It remains to be seen whether the Mahofa family will be able to retain control of the property, or whether it will be taken over for the proposed youth project.
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