THREE chiefs in Bikita, Masvingo province recently led a group of community leaders to enforce a court order giving ownership of a conservancy previously owned by Save Safaris to the local community.
After a protracted legal battle pitting the Save community
led by one Nevison Maketo against Save Safaris represented by Leon Duplessis,
the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe issued an order giving ownership of the
controversial Mapari Farm to Maketo and the community.
Over a period of several years, the Mapari Farm saga went
through the magistrates’ courts, the regional courts, the High Court and
finally the Supreme Court and in all instances, Maketo and the community were
granted relief and ownership of the property.
Strangely however, Save Safaris, with apparent backing of
the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife, continued with occupancy of the
property, forcing the community to approach the local traditional leaders,
Chief Budzi, Chief Mazungunye and Chief Marozva.
The three chiefs said they agreed to stand by the community
and Maketo after studying the route that the dispute had taken until the final
Supreme Court ruling, and also having realised the benefit that the community
stood to get out of their partnership with Maketo.
The chiefs’ spokesperson, Chief Budzi said in an interview
yesterday that him and his two colleagues, Chief Mazungunye and Chief Marozva
were surprised that there was any argument at all over a matter that had been
concluded by the Supreme Court.
“We are also perplexed by the interests of the Zimbabwe
National Parks and Wildlife who keep extending the occupation lease to Save
Safaris even after it had expired. The community stands to benefit a lot from
their partnership with Maketo, who has already started building a school and
other developmental projects in the conservancy.
“Most importantly however, we respect the law of the land
and we do not expect anyone to be resisting an order of the Supreme Court. That
is why the three of us, as the custodians of traditional land ownership rights
visited the place and asked Save Safaris to respect the law and vacate the
property peacefully,” said Chief Budzi.
Chief Marozva said the chiefs’ visit to the conservancy was
simply to try to implement a legal order — to get the legal owners of the
property to peacefully take ownership. We are the traditional custodians of law
and order and it is our duty to see that law and order is preserved in our
jurisdictions. Save Safaris lost the ownership battle at the courts and they
should give way to the new legal owners of the conservancy,” said Chief
Marozva.
Duplessis confirmed the farm takeover but could not
immediately give details saying he was in a meeting.
“I can confirm that but at the moment I am in a meeting. I
will call you later and give you more details,” he said.
ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said those with
queries on the matter should follow procedure. If anyone has queries they
should follow the right procedure,” Farawo said. Standard
0 comments:
Post a Comment