Tichaona Mharadza
…as Bere clansmen attempt Tokwe
Grange Farm grab
Grange Farm grab
Moses Ziyambi
New areas of contention are
emerging between Chief Charumbira and Chief Bere, with the former accusing the
latter of attempting to invade land that is out of his boundaries, TellZim News
can reveal.
emerging between Chief Charumbira and Chief Bere, with the former accusing the
latter of attempting to invade land that is out of his boundaries, TellZim News
can reveal.
Last Saturday, a large group of
people from Chief Bere invaded Tokwe Grange Farm at Bhuka, Ward 10 Masvingo
Rural, where they tried to peg pieces of land for themselves.
people from Chief Bere invaded Tokwe Grange Farm at Bhuka, Ward 10 Masvingo
Rural, where they tried to peg pieces of land for themselves.
They were, however, stopped by
Charumbira representatives who argued that the land belonged to Chief
Charumbira and that it had been reserved as grazing land for villages 17 and 18
that are themselves situated on part of the farm.
Charumbira representatives who argued that the land belonged to Chief
Charumbira and that it had been reserved as grazing land for villages 17 and 18
that are themselves situated on part of the farm.
Charumbira family spokesperson
Tichaona Mharadza said he was disappointed by the conduct of the Bere people
whom he said were deliberately ignoring the traditional boundaries between the
two chieftaincies.
Tichaona Mharadza said he was disappointed by the conduct of the Bere people
whom he said were deliberately ignoring the traditional boundaries between the
two chieftaincies.
“A group of more than 20 people
invaded the farm and tried to peg off portions of for themselves. People in
villages 17 and 18 were not happy about it because the invaders wanted to grab
land that was reserved as a grazing area.
invaded the farm and tried to peg off portions of for themselves. People in
villages 17 and 18 were not happy about it because the invaders wanted to grab
land that was reserved as a grazing area.
“The farm was acquired by
government under the willing-buyer-willing-seller programme in 1983 to create
part of the Mushandike Irrigation Scheme but a portion of the farm was reserved
for grazing. That is the land that those people wanted to take so the villagers
called us and we responded. The land has traditionally been under Chief
Charumbira and we really do not see where the problem is,” said Mharadza.
government under the willing-buyer-willing-seller programme in 1983 to create
part of the Mushandike Irrigation Scheme but a portion of the farm was reserved
for grazing. That is the land that those people wanted to take so the villagers
called us and we responded. The land has traditionally been under Chief
Charumbira and we really do not see where the problem is,” said Mharadza.
He said the would-be land
grabbers claimed they were from the police, the Central Intelligence
organisation (CIO) and Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zaac) with express
authority from President Emmerson Mnangagwa to take the land.
grabbers claimed they were from the police, the Central Intelligence
organisation (CIO) and Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zaac) with express
authority from President Emmerson Mnangagwa to take the land.
“What surprised us is that they
did not produce any document from the Ministry of Lands to back up their claims,
and they came on a Saturday when most government offices are closed. After a
serious confrontation, the group left and we raised the issue with the police
and CIO but both organisations said they had never sent anybody to do that. We
had also realised that those people were mostly Zanu PF youths although there
was a single member of the CIO. They are maliciously dragging the name of Zanu
PF and President Mnangagwa in their pursuit of a purely selfish agenda,”
Mharadza said.
did not produce any document from the Ministry of Lands to back up their claims,
and they came on a Saturday when most government offices are closed. After a
serious confrontation, the group left and we raised the issue with the police
and CIO but both organisations said they had never sent anybody to do that. We
had also realised that those people were mostly Zanu PF youths although there
was a single member of the CIO. They are maliciously dragging the name of Zanu
PF and President Mnangagwa in their pursuit of a purely selfish agenda,”
Mharadza said.
He urged relevant authorities to
facilitate the peaceful resolution of the dispute between Chief Charumbira and
Chief Bere, saying there was potential for serious bloodletting if the boundary
matter was allowed to continue.
facilitate the peaceful resolution of the dispute between Chief Charumbira and
Chief Bere, saying there was potential for serious bloodletting if the boundary
matter was allowed to continue.
“We feel that authorities are not
taking boundary disputes between the two chieftaincies seriously. These are
heritage issues and they deserve to be taken more seriously. It’s not only
between Charumbira and Bere, but between many other chiefs in the province and
elsewhere.
taking boundary disputes between the two chieftaincies seriously. These are
heritage issues and they deserve to be taken more seriously. It’s not only
between Charumbira and Bere, but between many other chiefs in the province and
elsewhere.
“On October 24, 2018, we wrote a
letter to the Ministry of Local Government through the DA and PA to find a way
of resolving what we knew was very much going to be a serious boundary dispute
but we got no response up until now. We recognise the Bere chieftaincy’s
legitimacy but only within its recognised boundaries. They are our relatives
and we share a boundary with them at Mutova River, Boss Mine, in Ward 9 but
they are breaching that,” said Mharadza.
letter to the Ministry of Local Government through the DA and PA to find a way
of resolving what we knew was very much going to be a serious boundary dispute
but we got no response up until now. We recognise the Bere chieftaincy’s
legitimacy but only within its recognised boundaries. They are our relatives
and we share a boundary with them at Mutova River, Boss Mine, in Ward 9 but
they are breaching that,” said Mharadza.
He said the Charumbira family was
soon going to sit down and possibly write a follow-up letter to the Ministry of
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
soon going to sit down and possibly write a follow-up letter to the Ministry of
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
Bere chieftainship spokesperson David
Masomere, however, dismissed those concerns, saying Charumbira did not have any
right to complain as he had become nothing but a headman.
Masomere, however, dismissed those concerns, saying Charumbira did not have any
right to complain as he had become nothing but a headman.
“If there are issues to be
raised, they must be raised by Nemanwa who is the rightful chief. Charumbira is
now a headman and you will see what I mean in the very short time to come. The
boundary dispute they are talking about should be between Bere and Nemanwa whom
we very much respect as a chief. So we will not talk to headmen, we will talk
to Chief Nemanwa,” said Masomere.
raised, they must be raised by Nemanwa who is the rightful chief. Charumbira is
now a headman and you will see what I mean in the very short time to come. The
boundary dispute they are talking about should be between Bere and Nemanwa whom
we very much respect as a chief. So we will not talk to headmen, we will talk
to Chief Nemanwa,” said Masomere.
When pressed to comment about the
attempted Tokwe Grange Farm invasion, Masomere laughed it off as a non-issue.
attempted Tokwe Grange Farm invasion, Masomere laughed it off as a non-issue.
“It’s laughable that they are
talking about a boundary they claim we share with them at Mutova River. We
don’t share any boundary with Charumbira, we share a boundary with Chief
Nemanwa and we respect that. The problem is that we have people who claim to be
chiefs yet they were elevated there by white people. Charumbira has a problem
because he is not only fighting Bere, but is also fighting Nemanwa.
talking about a boundary they claim we share with them at Mutova River. We
don’t share any boundary with Charumbira, we share a boundary with Chief
Nemanwa and we respect that. The problem is that we have people who claim to be
chiefs yet they were elevated there by white people. Charumbira has a problem
because he is not only fighting Bere, but is also fighting Nemanwa.
“We must ask ourselves why former
white colonial rulers of the land stripped chiefs like Bere of their
chieftainships and elevated some people in their place. The truth is now coming
out, and some people will find the truth too devastating,” said Masomere.
white colonial rulers of the land stripped chiefs like Bere of their
chieftainships and elevated some people in their place. The truth is now coming
out, and some people will find the truth too devastating,” said Masomere.
He promised that the next few
weeks will be quite revealing about who owns what and where, saying the
Ministry of Local Government will soon come to solve the matter ‘once and for
all’.
weeks will be quite revealing about who owns what and where, saying the
Ministry of Local Government will soon come to solve the matter ‘once and for
all’.
In April this year, Phineas
Tafirei was installed the new leader of the Bere chieftainship which had just
been revived after 125 years.
Tafirei was installed the new leader of the Bere chieftainship which had just
been revived after 125 years.
The chieftainship was destroyed
by white colonial settlers who were unhappy by the then chief’s resistance to
colonial rule. The then Chief Bere had caused early white settler sleepless
nights through his sabotage activities that included continuously cutting
telegraph lines between Masvingo and Bulawayo.
by white colonial settlers who were unhappy by the then chief’s resistance to
colonial rule. The then Chief Bere had caused early white settler sleepless
nights through his sabotage activities that included continuously cutting
telegraph lines between Masvingo and Bulawayo.
The revival of the chieftainship
came at a huge cost to Charumbira, who is also now facing increasing pressure
following government resolution to revive the Nemanwa chieftainship, which was
also destroyed by early white colonial rulers.
came at a huge cost to Charumbira, who is also now facing increasing pressure
following government resolution to revive the Nemanwa chieftainship, which was
also destroyed by early white colonial rulers.
