Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
THE Government has completed an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the eviction of nearly 100 villagers from Marume Village in Buhera District, bringing closure to a long running dispute between two village heads, Ngundu and Marume.
Buhera District Development Coordinator, Mr Freeman Mavhiza was tasked with leading the probe into the boundary conflict under Chief Makumbe, and to establish what led Sabhuku Marume to approach the High Court seeking the eviction of Sabhuku Ngundu and his subjects.
In 2015, the High Court granted Sabhuku Marume rights to the disputed land through a default judgment.
However, he only moved to enforce the ruling late last year, engaging the Messenger of Court to evict Sabhuku Ngundu and his followers.
The evictions, carried out during the rainy season, displaced families—many from an apostolic sect—who are now living in unsafe, abandoned buildings.
They were forced to abandon their crops, sell livestock to buy food, and their children have stopped attending school.
Government intervention followed after Sabhuku Ngundu’s earlier indication that he would challenge the High Court order failed to materialise.
Authorities have since declared the affected families internally displaced people and are providing assistance while working toward a permanent solution.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, said the matter is being treated with urgency.
He confirmed that the probe team’s findings have been submitted to national structures to ensure a lasting resolution.
“Village heads Ngundu and Marume are neighbours, and we have established that there is a longstanding dispute over a valley which is along their boundary. That valley is a wetland with a natural orchard of indigenous fruit trees. This is also the route to the dip tank.
‘‘What appears to be agreed is that sometime back this place was unoccupied.
“One of the village heads settled on that area, as to when is debatable. Other people joined him, both from Ngundu area and elsewhere. Sabhuku Marume and his team decided to evict these people because he believed they are in his area or in an area that they must not be. He got his High Court judgment in 2015 to evict these people through a default judgement where the other side was served the papers through their lawyers, but they never got to know of the date.
“From 2015 up to recently, Sabhuku Marume did not execute his order. He decided to execute it 10 years later. The issue is that either these people (Sabhuku Ngundu) go to court and reverse this decision or enter into a settlement of some sort. The evicted people are currently housed in disused bars and halls. I visited and found them there,” said Minister Mugadza.
Minister Mugadza said Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka and his Local Government and Public Works counterpart, Minister Daniel Garwe, who preside over the Rural Land Act, are also seized with the matter.
“The Government has since classified them as vulnerable people who need help. Government is assisting them with food and other things that they may require while their case is being resolved. The resolution will come either from court or from Government. We had a meeting that included Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, who is the joint administrator of the Rural Land Act with the Local Government and Public Works Minister. We had a meeting at Murambinda last weekend, which was also attended by the Buhera DDC and the district Joint Operations Command, and we discussed the matter.
“An assignment was given to the DDC and his team to go and compile a comprehensive report. That report has come, and unfortunately, I cannot disclose its contents because it is supposed to go to national level so that a determination is made from the Government side. We are hoping for the best as there are many alternatives we have already mooted. This is just an issue of space, and people need to be given somewhere to stay, and that space is there. It is just a question of feasibility,” said Minister Mugadza.
