From Dairy Powerhouse to Decay: The Collapse of the Mugabe Family's Gushungo Estate

Source: www.thezimbabwemail.com

In the Mazowe Valley, the story of Gushungo Dairy Estate stands as a stark parable of rise and ruin. The farm originally known as Foyle Farm was, under owner Ian Webster, the most advanced and productive dairy operation in Zimbabwe. At its peak, it produced approximately 6.5 million litres of milk annually, supplying a significant portion of the nation's dairy needs through its sophisticated, high-volume systems.

Amidst the violent land invasions of the early 2000s, former First Lady Grace Mugabe took a personal interest in the profitable property due to its proximity to Harare. Realising he could not hold on, Webster negotiated a payout to avoid the fate of others evicted without compensation. The Mugabe family then took control, rebranding the operation as Gushungo Dairy Estate and placing Grace Mugabe's son from her first marriage, Russell Goreraza, as manager.

Under the new management, the farm's specialised dairy focus unraveled. Reports indicate the main crop was switched from cattle fodder to cabbage, forcing the estate to purchase feed for its cows. The estate was further expanded by displacing other commercial farmers and poor families from surrounding lands, with numerous accounts suggesting state resources were abused to facilitate these evictions.

Despite massive investment in new machinery, the farm never regained its former efficiency. Without the requisite expertise, herd health and milk yields declined steadily. The final blow came with the death of former President Robert Mugabe in 2019 and the consequent loss of political patronage. By 2022, Gushungo Dairy had officially ceased operations, becoming insolvent without state-subsidised orders from institutions like the army and hospitals.

To settle millions in debt, Grace Mugabe was forced to auction off equipment and sell hundreds of dairy cows. An official quoted in 2022 confirmed there was no activity on the farm, stating, “Most of the equipment was auctioned away... This paints a grim picture of a once thriving dairy farm.” The family was said to have “failed dismally,” scaling down operations drastically.

The high-tech processing plant now sits idle, and the once-opulent estate is in a state of neglect. Much of the land has been leased out to third-party businessmen and white commercial farmers, while hundreds of former workers have been left unemployed. The collapse of this agricultural centrepiece marks the end of a venture that consumed a national asset and left behind little but debt and decay.

Related topics: Robert Mugabe, Grace Mugabe, Zimbabwe, land reform, farm collapse, Mazowe Valley, agriculture, political corruption

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