STAFF REPORTER
MAZOWE- Katena village in Chiweshe, Mazowe district has been plunged into chaos following a violent battle which erupted between villagers and members of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church over the occupation pasture land.
The villagers last week held a demonstration against maneuvers by members of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church to evict them from the property they have called home for years.
Five families are facing possible evictions while more than 200 families will be left with no pastures and farmland to pave way for a proposed school construction by members of the Zanu-PF aligned powerful church.
The villagers are accusing Village Head Taurai Marangwanda, a member of the church for having initiated the development.
“This area which is earmarked for school construction was initially reserved as our grazing land because livestock production and farming are our sources of income.
“We were never consulted on this development and we are now facing evictions. Our Village Head Taurai Marangwanda is the one whom we believe received some bribes to facilitate the evictions so that the church construct the proposed school.
“We are calling on authorities to come to our rescue before our lives are destroyed,” said a villager who prayed for anonymity for fear of reprisals from powerful Zanu-PF functionaries.
He said some of the villagers were arrested last week while others were granted peace orders restricting them from occupying the land.
He said they approached the District Development Coordinator (DDC) Shepherd Edward and the Resident minister with an aim to amicably resolve the matter but there is no solution.
“We tried to engage the DDC and the resident minister over the issue but nothing was resolved,” he said.
Mazowe Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Liberty Mufandayedza declined to comment on the issue.
The villagers’ plight is a repeat of the turbulent history of land reform in Zimbabwe, where previous government actions have led to violence and significant human rights violations.
In March 2017, police forcibly evicted villagers from Anold Farm in the same district, demolishing their homes and destroying crops in the name of establishing a national monument and expanding business interests associated with the former first lady, Grace Mugabe.
The Chiweshe community subsequently sought legal assistance from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
With the looming evictions under the current administration, the villagers are calling for dialogue and protection remains an urgent priority as they strive to defend their rights and secure their homes and pastures as cattle rearing is their source of income.
