The investor, Indonesia-based Cahyadi Kumala, owns around 88 percent of Dollar Bubi Farms (Pvt) Ltd, a prime property that rears ostriches. He also owns a 50 percent shareholding in PT Royal Ostrindo Zimbabwe, an Export Processing Zone tannery that processes ostrich meat and skins for export. Kumala’s total investment, which he now stands to lose, is around $11 million ($200,000).

Kumala is said to be especially aggrieved at government’s inaction in removing the squatters, who are technically acting illegally because the farm is not part of the government’s ‘official’ land occupation programme.

As well as causing serious disruption to the day to day running of the farm, the squatters are said to have seriously undermined the its viability by introducing chickens – a violation of EU import regulations which expressly prohibit the presence of poultry on meat-producing ostrich farms.

If Kumala goes ahead with his threat, it will result in the loss of 500 jobs and bring an end to the development of rural areas in and around the farms.

Speaking to the local press, Bruce McNair, chairman of the Bulawayo Ostrich Processors said: "These guys have been the leaders in the ostrich industry in the country. They have grown the industry into a huge foreign currency earner and if anything happens to them, the industry is doomed to collapse.

"All the meat and skins produced by that group are exported. It will be a sad day for the country if the government allows that investment to go down the drain," added McNair, whose members operate the ostrich slaughter facility at the state-owned Cold Storage Company in Bulawayo.