EIGHT Shangaan community leaders in Chiredzi East were
recently summoned to the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) office in the
Lowveld and interrogated for allegedly inciting villagers to resist government
plans to relocate them to another site to pave way for a multi-million-dollar
lucerne production project.
The eight - Dhlayani Chiandlala, John Petro, Itai
Machuukele, Ganyani Chigombe, Graesham Marilele, Bernard Vhekenya, Funny
Macholoti and John Gezani - were allegedly interrogated by CIO operative Joseph
Chiminya, who accused them of organising villagers to heckle government and
party leaders spearheading the relocation exercise.
Masvingo Centre for Research, Advocacy and Development
(MACRAD) director Ephraim Mtombeni confirmed the development, describing it as
harassment.
Chiminya could not be reached for comment.
"The Shangaan people feel that they are being
discriminated against on tribal lines as this is a second eviction. First, they
were evicted in the Triangle area to pave way for Tongaat Hulett. The
government did not consult the Shangaan people, but just came with Paul Kruger
as an investor," Mtombeni said.
"On July 04, 2020 the Minister of Lands, Agriculture,
Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Perrance Shiri, Minister of Local
Government July Moyo and Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira
visited the Chilonga communities instructing them to leave their ancestral
land," he said.
"MACRAD recommends the government should properly give
notice of the proposed acquisition of land by making a publication in the
Government Gazette identifying the land in terms of section 72(2) of the
Constitution. The Shangaan people have to participate in the decision-making
process not as affected people, but as primary actors who contribute to
socioeconomic value of the lucerne project."
According to minutes of a special Chiredzi Rural District
Council meeting held on April 30, the project would be spread over 6 500
hectares and displace villagers in Chambuta, Chipinda, Velemu, Chibwedziva and
Masivamele in Chikombedzi.
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) chairperson Elasto
Mugwadi and his team recently visited the affected communities.
Zanu-PF provincial spokesperson Ronald Ndava refused to
comment saying: "I cannot comment right now because the issue is still
being discussed so that the parties can reach a consensus. It's unfortunate
that there are some elements who want to blow it out of proportion. Just let
those involved solve the issue amicably." Newsday
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