…ZLHR
makes date in court
Beatific Gumbwanda
Despite valiant efforts by
Sengwe communal land leaders to reject a multi-million dollar Lucerne grass project
by a Kwekwe based dairy company, Dendairy, which was to take huge chunks of
land and displace thousands of their people, the government has okayed the ‘forceful’
eviction of the families from their lands.
Over 1 000 families from Chilonga and Mutomani areas have
been, through the recently gazette Statutory Instrument 50 of 2021, forced to
vacate their ancestral land together with their property and pave way for the
Lucerne grass project.
Statutory Instrument 50 of 2021 (Communal Land Setting aside
of Land (Chiredzi, notice 2021), published in the Government Gazetted last
week, Local Government minister July
Moyo said villagers occupying the land should start packing their belongings in order to pave way for the
grass project.
“The minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural
Development in terms of section 10 of the Communal Land Act (Chapter 20, 04),
hereby makes the following notice: – This notice may be cited as the communal
land (setting aside of land) (Chiredzi) notice, 2021.
“The area of land described hereunder in terms of this
schedule shall be set aside with effect from the date of publication of this
notice for the purpose of lucerne production.
“Any person occupying or using the land specified in the
schedule, otherwise than by virtue of a right held in terms of the Mines and
Minerals Act (Chapter 21,05), is ordered to depart permanently with all of his
or her property from the said land by the date of publication of this notice,
unless he or she acquires rights of use of occupation to the said land in terms
of section (9) (1) of the Communal Land Act (Chapter (20,04),” reads the
notice.
In the Statutory Instrument 51 of 2021 under the Communal
Land (Excision of Land) (Notice 2021), President Mnangagwa ruled that the 13k
ha had seized from being part of Chiredzi Communal Lands.
“His Excellence the President, in terms of section 61
(1) (b) of the communal Land Act (Chapter 20:04), hereby makes the following
notice: – This notice might be cited as the communal land (Excision land)
Notice, 2021.
“The area of land described hereunder in terms of the
schedule shall cease to be part of the Chiredzi Communal Land,” reads the
notice.
The Lucerne grass project will be undertaken on a piece of
land spanning about 13 000 hectares.
Dendairy, a private milk producer, is the major investor of
the project targeting almost 10 000 hectares of arable land for the Lucerne
production project meant for local and international markets.
Villagers had been resisting the project as they fear a
repeat of the 2014 Chingwizi saga, where more than 3 000 villagers from Chivi
and Masvingo villagers were dumped in Chingwizi, while being allocated 1
hectare piece of land for cattle rearing, farming and construction of
dwellings.
Masvingo Provincial Development Coordinator (PDC) Jeftar
Sakupwanya could not be drawn into comment as his mobile went unanswered but
TellZim News is reliably informed that the government is yet to secure land to
settle the affected families.
The Zimbawe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) told TellZim
News that they would be making a court application challenging the legality of
the evictions.
“We are busy making a court application in which we will be
challenging the legality of the evictions.
“In two days we will be ready to present our case,” said
ZLHR lawyer Obey Shava.
