Terrence Machocho

Service / Career

2017 – Present (2020) Deputy Director, office of Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs.

Events

Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Cde Mandi Chimene urged Mutare to save trees by using offcuts from timber plantations for firewood, instead of cutting down new trees, in a speech read on her behalf by the deputy director in her office, Mr Terrence Machocho, at a tree planting ceremony held in Ward 13 in February 2017.

The ceremony was attended by officials from Forestry Commission, Mutare City Council, the Environmental Management Agency, New Start, Nyaradzo Funeral Services, Destiny for Africa Network, and residents from Chikanga and surrounding areas. Over 60 percent of our people depend on forests in one way or the other for their livelihoods. Ward 13 councillor, Cde Wellington Zambezi, said the tree planting exercise was part of his ward’s programmes to rehabilitate the environment battered by human activities. We are targeting to plant 1 200 trees today and 5 000 this year. The trees will be planted along Magamba Road. ^[1]

A dispute is ongoing between Lameck Bvurere and Terrence Machocho. Lameck Bvurere has been given an eviction notice on 14 February 2020 to leave Subdivision 2 of Stilfontein of Umzila farm, which he has been farming since 2009. He has made various improvements on the said piece of land including a 10 roomed farm house, livestock pens, 100 metric ton of maize stack and drilling a borehole. The farm includes export quality macadamia nuts, and sixty (60) herd of cattle. It is near Chipinge.

Terrence Machocho is a director in the office of Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Ellen Gwaradzimba. He has an offer letter he obtained in November 2019.

Bvurere is challenging the eviction notice at the High Court, saying he was being illegally evicted from the Chipinge farm. “I received a notice of eviction, and at this point I became aware that there were proceedings instituted against me at the court. I was not served with any process relating to this matter until l received the notice of eviction. Bvurere has written a letter to the Lands ministry protesting the eviction. The matter is yet to be set down for a hearing.

This is the second incident since the Government was urged by the European Union to implement reforms that include human rights, property rights as well as economic and political reforms. In December 2019, suspended Zanu-PF youth leader Lewis Matutu invaded a Kwekwe-based farm, disrupting production on the land. Matutu was subsequently barred by the courts from interfering with farming activities on the property. ^[2]

On 27 February, a Chipinge magistrate stopped the eviction of Lameck Bvurere and remanded the case to 9 March for further hearing. Terrence Machocho, is being accused of abusing his office. Bvurere’s lawyer Calexy Maunga confirmed the development. Bvurere grows maize and macadamia nuts for export and has been occupying the 150-hectare farm since 2009. ^[3]

The matter was heard at the High Court circuit in Mutare by Justice Isaac Muzenda, who ruled against Machocho’s farm grab.

An order seen by this publication reads: “The first respondent and those or anyone acting through him be and are, hereby, ordered to restore to the applicant, peaceful and undisputed possession of subdivision 2 Stilfontein of Umzila Farm in Chipinge district. “The determination of the applicant complainant currently pending before the second respondent, the issuance of the offer letter in favour of the first respondent by the second respondent in respect of subdivision 2, Stilfontein of Umzila Farm in Chipinge district, Manicaland province.” Justice Muzenda further added: “The applicant be and, hereby, ordered not to engage or commence new farming operations and activities in respect of subdivision 2 Stilfontein of Umzila Farm in Chipinge, the parties are to maintain peace and order towards each other pending resolution of the process mentioned in the entirety of paragraph one of the order.” ^[4]