By Juliet Magwegwe
The Zanu Pf party in Mashonaland Central province has raised a red flag over the suspicious activities of a Zimbabwean based Netherlands citizen allegedly meddling in political activism in the Mbire-Guruve area.
Hans Van Belle has courted controversy for allegedly popularising the Yellow Movement associated with the Nelson Chamisa’s brand as he is seen wearing yellow colours whilst traveling in public transport like Zupcos and kombis in the Mbire, Guruve and Mazowe district.
Van Belle is further under fire for his arbitrary and exploitative marriage with renowned Zimbabwean sculptor Alice Musarara whom he married and over the years, reportedly, exploited her stone works through his links in the Nerthelands art market.
“Van Belle has been in Zim for years and he identified the gift in several artists based at Guruve Tengenenge Arts Centre where he went on to marry a hard working stone sculptor artist by the name Alice Musarara.
” Using the marriage, Van Belle went on to form Stone Dreams in Netherlands which is a legacy of the exploitative activities he made on black sculptors from Zimbabwe together with his accomplice Tom Blomfield,” said a source who spoke to this publication.
Over the years Alice’s health deteriorated and she is currently ill and bedridden with very little to show for the works she sweated for.
“Despite a few projects in the area of Ruyamuro and Guruve by Van Belle to hoodwink the local artists as some form of ploughing back to the community, it is believed that he has accumulated millions of dollars from the stone works by his wife.
“To show the magnitude of his looting, he bought a bank in Netherlands which he converted into a lavish flat being resided by his daughter and son in law as well as a number of properties in his name without Alice.
” The spirit he has shown over the years is one of capitalist ideology, his operations has contributed to the death of the art industry in Zim which has seen sculptors living in abject poverty as the market is literally murdered by the merchant activities of Van Belle,” revealed a sculptor from Guruve.
Alice’s ailing health has further cemented the popular belief that Van Belle has been in the wedlock for a capitalist conspiracy agenda.
There is rising bickering and constant fights between Van Belle and his spouses relative who want to at least preserve the little legacy and inheritance of their sister.
“All is not well as Alice’s mental and physical health has deteriorated, she is just a boiling pot, and having lost her closest relatives in the form of her son and sister who both died in unclear and suspicious circumstances, existing relatives are trying to defend her legacy and inheritance which has triggered a feud war with capitalist Van Belle.
“Her few family members have since been illegally evicted from the homestead by Van Belle who is trying to get rid of any blood relative of Alice to come close to their home
“More worrying is the fact that he seem to be attempting to grab away everything that Alice worked for, he is trying to swindle every last hard earned dollar, this is angering Alice’s family whom light has dawned upon them realizing the conspiracy of ages in how their kith was used for selfish ends reminiscent of the slavery days, ” said a source close to the ongoing fights
However, as the country approaches the 2023 general elections, there are rising worrying fears among the ruling party supporters that Van Belle could be a mole in the political affairs of the province specifically and Zimbabwe in general.
” His excessive obsession with the colour yellow as he is always clad in yellow clothes as well as holding of suspected clandestine meetings with local people are very suspicious.
” Despite owning some cars he is always being seen in public transport like Zupcos and buses wearing yellow every time, a situation which we believe is meant to politically conscientise locals into embracing CCC,” said a ruling party youth from Guruve.
No comment could be drawn from Van Belle at the time of publishing.