The farmers were allocated plots at the farm under the A1
and A2 schemes of the Land Reform Programme in 2003. The 520-hectare farm was
sub-divided into plots with each farmer at least getting five hectares.
The owner of the farm, a Mlambo, who has its title deeds,
won his farm back after government decided to give back land to blacks who had
their farms compulsorily acquired during the land reform programme.
NewsDay is in possession of the High Court order in which
the Lands and Rural Resettlement ministry was cited as the first respondent.
Carthouse Enterprises (Private) Limited, reportedly owned
by Mlambo, was the applicant in the matter.
In his ruling, High Court judge Justice Joseph Martin
Mafusire last year said government’s ownership of the land was null and void.
“It is ordered that the preliminary notice to compulsorily
acquire the property known as a certain piece of land situated in Makoni
district measuring 529,3287 hectare called Nyamatsanga held under deed of
transfer No 10197/99 in the name of the applicant which was published in the
Government Gazette on May 16, 2003 and the subsequent compulsory acquisition of
the property by the first respondent is hereby declared null and void for
non-compliance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” the order read.
Chairperson of the affected farmers, Radman Usavi narrated
the new development to NewsDay yesterday.
He said they were given three months eviction notices last
year in September through a High Court order.
Usavi said the farmers were refusing to vacate the place
despite recently receiving letters ordering them to attend court in seven days.
“In September last year, we were served with an eviction order
from the High Court, saying that we should leave the farm in three months.
“We wrote a petition to the Ministry of Lands protesting
the move and saying that farmers are resisting.
Some of the people that are set to be evicted have been there for
several years,” Usavi said. Newsday
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