Beverly Bizeki
As the “Operation Order No To Land Barons” continues with the aim of bringing sanity to communal lands in Zimbabwe, another 49 residents from Chikutuva Village under Chief Bere in Masvingo have been hauled to the courts facing charges of settling within prohibited dam basin of Lake Mutirikwi.
The group, which is said to be contravening section 56(20) of the Water Act chapter 20:24, appeared before Masvingo Magistrate Elizabeth Hanzie on January 13, 2024, and was remanded out of custody to January 25 for continuation of trial.
It is the state’s case as presented by Godknows Mugondo that from 2000 to date the accused people have been occupying pieces of land under Lake Mutirikwi basin.
It is alleged that some of the people arrested have been buying land from village heads who are in the habit of selling land that belongs to the Ministry of Lands.
The police launched “Operation Order No to Land Barons” which has been running from January 10 to February 9 to bring sanity to communal lands in Zimbabwe.
This becomes the second time that the people of Chikutuva Village faced troubles over the illegal settlement, as back in 2019 government once issued eviction letters to them, resulting in conflicts between two local chiefs, Bere and Charumbira over possession of the land.
The villagers however said they were not prepared to leave their homes as this was where their ancestral homes were, with some even threatening to go and live at the Great Zimbabwe Monuments if they were to be evicted.
Evelyn Dovorogwa told TellZim back in 2019 that her ancestors were laid in the same area hence she was not going anywhere despite the eviction notices from the government.
“I was born here so where can I go now? Even if they burn and do everything (to destroy our houses) I am not going anywhere, my ancestors are here in this place,” said Dovorogwa.
In Masvingo province’s seven districts, approximately 13 000 illegal settlers are likely to be left homeless with government cracking down on land barons and people who are illegally selling or distributing communal lands.
Last week at least 49 arrests in Mushandike were made and nine people were taken to court over the same issue, with some of them being land barons facing charges of illegally distributing land.
