Mugabe's secret farming empire out of land seized revealed

London, Sep. 26 (ANI): Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has set up a secret farming empire out of the land seized from more than 4,000 white commercial farmers.

The disclosure about the 10,000-acre holding worth 2 million pounds is the first evidence of how Mughabe personally benefited from the land seizures drive, The Telegraph reports.

The government initiated program that began in 2000, destroyed Zimbabwe's agriculture industry, the bedrock of the economy. he country now desperately needs to rebuild its shattered economy.

But Mugabe's private farming empire is an obstacle to resurrecting commercial agriculture, experts say.

According to the paper, Mugabe's private empire is located in the Darwendale area, near his tribal home, about 30 miles west of capital Harare.

It is made up of six farms, including five properties seized from white owners over the years.

Workers employed in the farm said they were either working for Mugabe or "Gushungo", his family name, which is also the new name for the estate.

"We were told the farms belong to the president," said a worker employed on the farm.

He added that Mugabe grows maize, rice, wheat, different sorghums, and sweet potatoes, and has a herd of Brahmin cattle, goats, plus five camels. (ANI)