Charumbira villagers, rural district council up in arms

George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Villagers in Charumbira communal lands are up in arms with Masvingo Rural District Council over the continued expansion of Nemanwa Growth Point which they say is encroaching into their ancestral land. Nemanwa Growth Point, located near the Great Zimbabwe Monuments, has undergone rapid expansion over the past few years as new buildings continue to sprout at the centre.

Its rapid growth has, however, riled villagers in its immediate surroundings who accuse Masvingo RDC of slowly encroaching into their land. Among villages most affected by Nemanwa’s expansion are Rusetu, Chinhengeni and Muzoroza with villagers saying the growth point is threatening their grazing and farming land. Chief Fortune Charumbira under whose jurisdiction covers the area confirmed the developments in his area.

“Villagers are not happy mainly because the growth point is growing in one direction, expanding only westwards and encroaching into their land,” he said.

“There is still fear about what will happen in the future because the growth point is growing phenomenally while new buildings continue to emerge. There is concern over why the growth point continues to expand beyond its original boundary.” Chief Charumbira said there was need to strike a balance between the interests of the villagers and Masvingo RDC. Masvingo RDC chief executive Mr Martin Mubviro could not be reached for comment.

However, council sources said Nemanwa’s expansion drive was above board with all land being incorporated into the growth point’s area of jurisdiction having been legally acquired. Nemanwa cannot expand east or southwards because of geographical barriers such as mountains while further east is also home to the Great Zimbabwe Monuments World Heritage site. The growth point is the commercial capital for Masvingo district and has been experiencing a population boom with new settlements sprouting up as it slowly becomes a potential dormitory town for Masvingo City. The growth point about 25 kilometres from City of Masvingo.