The once thriving dairy business of  President Robert Mugabe and his controversial  wife Grace is now in ruins according to News Hawks.

Alpha Omega Dairy, a subsidiary of the former first family’s business empire, Gushungo Holdings, once dubbed the second-biggest dairy in Southern Africa is reported to be in a sorry state.

The NewsHawks who toured some business sites claim that Mugabe’s business used to be sustained by patronage as government departments and state institutions stampeded to order milk, yoghurt and ice cream during Mugabe’s 37-year-old reign. The butchery at the site could be mistaken for a dumpsite, with old farm equipment that includes tractors, trucks and combine harvesters strewn all over the yard.

Writes Nyasha Chingono of The NewsHawks:

However, the multi-million-dollar business has fallen on hard times and cannot compete with other dairy companies on the market.
In fact, it now resembles a ghost factory that stands as an ominous power symbol capturing the imaginations and ambitions of the Mugabe family.
Upon arrival, we find the parking lot empty, with only one delivery truck in sight. There is skeletal staff on the premises lingering around.
The yesteryear hive of activity is gone and workers’ crestfallen faces tell a story. The milk-manufacturing plant has gone mute, while the sales department that used to welcome hundreds of clients daily looks deserted.

news hawks

Mugabe farm

Most of Alpha Omega’s products have disappeared from the shelves of major retail outlets around the country as the multi-million-dollar business empire faces viability challenges.
A half-empty refrigerator in the sales area contained only the Mnandi brand of sour milk. Other products like fruit juices and ice cream were out of stock.
Most of the workers believe Grace, Mugabe’s widow, has abandoned the dairy project. The Mugabe family hardly visits the farm anymore, workers said.
Grace has actually been out of the country since before the Covid-19 lockdown early this year.
-news hawks