adminFour Zimbabweans were recently beaten when they allegedly encroached into Mozambique to hunt.
There is no clear border line in the Ganganyama area where people from both countries are taking matters into their hands to determine the boundary.
The Mozambicans are accusing their Zimbabwean counterparts of encroaching into their country to engage in poaching and other illegal activities.
They force Zimbabweans who cross the imaginary border line to pay fines. At the height of the disputes, Zimbabweans retaliate by barring children from Mozambique from attending the only school in the area which is on the Zimbabwean side.
When The Herald visited the area on Wednesday, there were accusations and counter-accusations between the two sides.
One of the local villagers Mr Edmore Katevera said Mozambicans were forcing them to pay illegal taxes once they crossed into Mozambique.
“We do not use passports in this area. Mozambicans cross to trade their products here and we do not have any problem with that, but the moment we cross into Mozambique we are forced to pay taxes,” he said.
“It seems that every person in Mozambique is a police officer and they are forcing us to pay cart tax and even human tax.”
A war veteran from Mozambique who identified himself as Mobil Domingo defended their position.
“Every country has its laws and in Mozambique everyone pays cart tax, motor bike tax and even bicycle tax,” he said.
“Zimbabweans are the ones who provoke us because at times they chase our children away from Ganganyama School.”
Another Zimbabwean who refused to be named accused the Mozambicans of being rude and arrogant.
“There is a game ranger from the Mozambican side called Doben Kafuramazani who is terrorising us. He moves around with a gun making false claims that we are poaching animals from the Mozambican side. He is forcing us to pay hefty fines and at times he beats us, including our children,” he said.
Rushinga House of Assembly Member Mr Lazarus Dokora, who visited the area on Wednesday, said a solution should be found to unify the two sides. He said he had proposed a meeting with Mozambican immigration officials from the Ruya district to resolve the matter.
“I have tentatively proposed to meet with immigration officials from Ruya and Chief Domingo on July 29,” he said.
“We should find a way on how our people relate to each other in an amicable manner.
“The starting point we can build on is our common brotherhood that we have forged during the liberation struggle.”
leeroy