Charles
Simbi,
55,
is
trying
to
wrest
control
of
Kanuck
Farm
along
Gweru-Shurugwi
road
following
the
discovery
of
rich
gold
samples
at
the
property.
Simbi,
the
former
councillor
for
Gweru
Urban
ward
12
and
losing
candidate
for
MP
in
Mkoba,
was
released
into
the
custody
of
his
lawyer
Wellington
Davira
as
police
continue
their
enquiries
into
the
matter
following
his
arrest
on
May
7.
Davira
said:
“Police
and
the
prosecution
will
proceed
by
way
of
summons
when
they
are
ready
to
charge
him.
He
insists
his
innocence
of
course.”
Simbi
allegedly
used
his
wife
Zodwa
Thembinkosi
Simbi
to
forge
an
offer
letter
to
the
10
hectare
plot
where
the
gold
was
discovered.
The
concerned
land
is
part
of
Kanuck
Farm
which
is
legally
owned
by
one
Melvin
Van
Gopal.
Documents
seen
by
ZimLive
show
that
the
forgery
dispute
pits
Simbi
and
his
wife
on
one
side
and
Nyengeterai
Tsvangirai
and
Musiyiwa
Paradza
on
the
other.
Paradza
and
Tsvangirai’s
New
Generation
Mining
Syndicate
are
the
current
owners
of
the
disputed
mining
claims.
Simbi
allegedly
mined
the
area,
known
as
Pretty
Polly
33
Mine,
in
2022
after
being
authorised
by
Tsvangirai’s
late
husband,
Casper
Tsvangirai,
but
pulled
out
citing
unimpressive
results
from
gold
samples.
She
then
partnered
with
Paradza
to
form
New
Generation
Mining
Syndicate
which
discovered
rich
gold
samples.
They
registered
nine
gold
claims
on
nine
hectares.
After
learning
of
the
new
discovered
rich
gold
samples,
Simbi
allegedly
returned
and
managed
to
get
one
claim
registered
and
attempted
to
encroach
into
the
New
Generation
Mining
Syndicate
territory
before
being
ordered
back
by
the
ministry
of
mines.
After
the
over-pegging
failure,
Simbi
is
accused
of
using
his
wife’s
name
to
forge
an
offer
letter
claiming
ownership
of
the
land
under
which
New
Generation
Mining
Syndicate
was,
and
conducted
some
farming
activities
to
disturb
the
syndicate’s
mining
activities.
After
the
dispute
spilled
to
the
courts,
again
Simbi
allegedly
claimed
the
piece
of
land
belonged
to
his
wife
and
produced
the
alleged
fake
Offer
Letter,
which
the
Ministry
of
Lands,
Agriculture,
Fisheries,
Water,
and
Rural
Development
distanced
itself
from.
Gweru
police
established
that
the
farms
of
interest,
Lots
4
and
5
under
RIE
of
Kanuck
Farm,
are
legally
owned
by
one
Melvin
Van
Gopal.
Midlands
Provincial
Lands
Officer
Chenai
Mnangagwa
requested
questions
in
writing.
She
had
no
responded
at
the
time
of
publication.
In
September
last
year,
Tsvangirai’s
daughter
was
stabbed
and
robbed
of
55
grams
of
toasted
gold
within
the
vicinity
of
New
Generation
Mining
Syndicate.
Simbi
and
his
accomplices
also
have
a
pending
case
of
theft
at
the
Gweru
Magistrate
Courts
where
he
allegedly
stole
90
tonnes
of
gold
ore
from
Tsvangirai’s
Pretty
Polly
33
Mine
in
October
last
year.
Source-
ZimLive
Post
published
in:
Featured