TWO illegal settlers at Klasi Farm 26 in Chemagora, Gokwe
South, allegedly brutally murdered the son of the farm owner following a
dispute over grazing pastures.
Last month, a farm owner, Mr George Jongwe, was allegedly
brutally murdered by 14 illegal settlers at his farm after he had allegedly
shot one of them dead while attempting to evict them from his property in
Chemagora.
In an interview, Mr Dumapi Tutani, who is the Chemagora
Small-Scale Commercial Farmers’ Union chairperson, confirmed the death of Collen,
the eldest son of Mr Wellington Klasi and owner of Klasi Farm 26, allegedly at
the hands of two illegal settlers following a dispute over grazing pastures.
The incident, Mr Tutani said, happened on Saturday afternoon.
“I can confirm that Collen Klasi was brutally murdered on
Saturday afternoon at his father’s farm by two illegal settlers after a dispute
over pastures,” he said.
“Collen was in the company of a minor whilst herding cattle
when he met his fate.” Mr Tutani said the illegal settlers, who are at large,
allegedly armed themselves with machetes and axes which they used to murder
Collen. He said they first attacked seven cattle which Collen was herding,
inflicting deep cuts on them before turning on him.
“The suspected criminals are known to us as illegal
settlers,” said Mr Tutani. “They invaded part of Mr Klasi Farm and attacked
Collen accusing him of letting his cattle stray into their grazing area.
“Collen suffered deep cuts and his head had cracks
allegedly from blows he received when he was being attacked by machetes and
axes.”
Mr Tutani said the suspected murderers were once taken to
court by Mr Klasi for invading his farm, but were allegedly refusing to vacate.
Gokwe South District Administrator Mr Steward Gwatiringa
confirmed the incident but said he was still to get the facts.
He said Government, which is in the process of working on
evicting illegal settlers, has to date issued over 200 eviction letters in Chemagora.
The illegal settlers have been illegally occupying about 54
000 hectares of black-owned farms and have been caught up in a land rows which
at times saw their houses being torched by the Deputy Sheriff after the land
owners were granted eviction orders by the courts.
Government at one time earmarked 35 000 hectares of land in
Chirisa Game Reserve for the resettlement of Chemagora families and other
families from Gokwe South and Gokwe North.
However, chiefs in Gokwe successfully objected, demanding
that their subjects should be given first priority. Herald
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