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| Chief Neshuro |
Maryline Katenjele
MWENEZI- Villagers from the Hume
area in Rutenga are up in arms with Chief Neshuro, born Rodwell Gudo, whom they
accuse of parceling out their grazing lands to home seekers.
Villagers
say that their livestock will soon have no grazing lands as much of the
reserved land was being sold to the highest bidder.
Chief
Neshuro denied the allegations saying no grazing land has ever been sold and
people should not soil his name.
“Why
should we destroy our grazing lands? Here in Mwenezi we have a huge herd and if
we do not leave the grazing lands what will happen to that herd?
“I have
never sold any land and I was at one point approached by officials from the
ministry of lands who wanted to allocate land to their people and I told them
to engage my village heads.
“As far
as I am concerned, we have not given any land to anyone and there has been no
pegging on our grazing lands,” said Chief Neshuro.
Village
head Taurai Chikweza confirmed that there was a dispute between home seekers,
who are encroaching grazing lands, and villagers saying they once sought
recourse from the ministry of lands.
“The
land which has been reserved for our domestic animals to graze was recently
pegged for some home seekers.
“We
engaged the district lands office over the issue but they could not give us an
ear as the people who did the pegging claimed they were acting above board,”
said Chikweza.
Sources
said that Chief Neshuro, through his headman one Dzingai Makurirofa of Sonop
Ranch, was facilitating the pegging of the grazing lands.
“As has
become the norm here under Chief Neshuro’s area of jurisdiction, the land is not
given free of charge. One has to either part with his cash or some beasts in
order to acquire land.
“This
was the case with the would-be beneficiaries of the grazing land of 7B in
Rutenga West.
“The
Chief was paid by the would-be beneficiaries and headman Makurirofa is the one
who is facilitating all this,” said the source.
