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Melody Vherenaisi
Weekender Reporter
A BOCHA man has approached the civil court to seek a protection order against a neighbour who is allegedly threatening his family’s safety over a 24-year-old land dispute.
The matter was brought before Mutare magistrate, Mr Xavier Chipato.
Mr Chipato granted the protection order in Paradzai Mahechani’s favour.
The order was granted in default as the defendant, Farai Kwembeya, did not attend the court hearing.
Kwembeya was ordered not to assault, provoke, insult or harass Mahechani during the subsistence of the protection order.
Mahechani accused Kwembeya of stealing sugarcane from his field.
He also told the court that his family’s life is under threat from Kwembeya who is in the habit of threatening them with an axe.
Said Mahechani: “Kwembeya made a false report to the police, accusing me of assaulting his children. While his children stole sugarcane from my field, I never said anything about it but he decided to lie against me.”
Mahechani said after his sugarcane was allegedly stolen by Kwembeya’s children, their father came and “harvested” the remaining ones.
He said after the incident, Kwembeya besieged his homestead wielding an axe and attacked him once.
“He approached my home with an axe after he had stolen some sugarcane from my field and attacked me. I sustained some injuries and was taken to the hospital where I was treated and discharged after two weeks. I am aggrieved because he is lying against me,” said Mahechani.
The court also heard that Kwembeya claims that the land that Mahechani is occupying belongs to him.
Kwembeya claims that the land was allocated to him by his forefathers over 24 years ago.
“Kwembeya removed all the fencing that I put around my land claiming that the land belongs to him, yet it was allocated to me. I have been occupying the land for the past 24 years,” said Mahechani.
He said when Kwembeya vandalised his fence, he reported the matter to the local traditional leadership.
Unfortunately, they are yet to intervene to settle the matter.
“I reported the matter to both the Village Head and Headmen and they promised to settle the dispute but they haven’t done anything yet.
“That is why I have resorted to approaching the courts of law. I am afraid of losing my life through Kwembeya’s axe,” said Mahechani.
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