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Tanyaradzwa Mujati
Weekender Reporter
A BOUNDARY dispute has resulted in bad blood between Mutare neighbours, with two of them being accused of allowing their cattle to stray into a woman’s fields to fix her.
In their arguments, the neighbours claim that the land under dispute does not belong to anyone.
Having been irked with Patrick Chemugaira and Virginia Tangisai’s actions, Noliwe Tarambwa applied for a peace order against them.
Tarambwa revealed that she is still bitter about a matter that happened in 1995 when Chemugaira’s father stole her clothes that were hanging on the washing line.
Ever since then, bad blood exists between the families.
“His father stole my clothes in 1995. He inherited his father’s mischief as he does not respect me.
“I have approached the court because he is refusing to cut down the trees that demarcate the boundary between us,” said Tarambwa.
She said she reported the matter to their traditional leader and Chemugaira was ordered to cut down the trees, but he ignored the ruling.
“After failing to respect the community court’s ruling, I was directed by our traditional leaders to approach the civil court for redress. These trees are encroaching into my fields, leaving me with little land to till.
“If I try to cut the trees down, we end up quarrelling. He spews denigrating words. I want peace to prevail between us,” said Tarambwa.
She said both Chemugaira and Tangisai are allowing their cattle to stray into her fields to fix her after she refused to reposition the boundary.
“They are allowing their cattle to stray into my fields. Last week when I was attending a meeting, the cattle damaged my mango trees,” she said.
Tarambwa also said Tangisai’s grandchildren are being influenced by their grandmother to ridicule her.
“I came back from a funeral and found this woman removing my fence. I asked her why she was doing that and her grandchildren insulted me.
“They threatened to attack me and their grandmother ignored them.
“Recently, they broke my kitchen door and stole my cellphone. I saw her grandchildren’s footprints at my door. I made a police report and the police can testify to this. I think she sent them to steal the phone,” said Tarambwa.
She added: “Tangisai also steals vegetables in my garden. It is a family of thieves.”
Chemugaira said the problem began when the applicant’s husband passed away and she shifted her boundary to the no-man’s land.
“When she occupied her piece of land in 1985, she was told that an open space should be left between our properties. Her husband maintained the set boundary. However, when her husband died, she moved the boundary and occupied the no-man’s land,” he said.
Chemugaira also said the matter was brought before their village head who advised Tarambwa to revert to the old boundary.
“We have been moving from one court to the other over this issue. We went to the village head and he ordered her to remove her fence. She said we paid him and appealed to the chief who came up with the same verdict.
“This is a no-man’s land. We are always fighting because of this issue. I am surprised that today we are here again. She should just comply with the community court’s ruling,” said Chemugaira.
Tangisai also denied stealing from Tarambwa, saying these were false allegations.
“We have been staying in peace for years. Her children would come and stay with me. At one point when she left her husband, I was there for her children. She should just remove her fence from the no-man’s land and peace will prevail.
“I do not steal from her and where is the evidence linking my grandchildren to the alleged theft of her property? She didn’t tell me that my grandchildren stole her cell phone and sweet potatoes.
“I am actually hearing all these accusations in this court.”
The presiding magistrate, Mr Xavier Chipato granted the protection order in Tarambwa’s favour.
He ordered Chemugaira to comply with the chief’s ruling and cut down the trees that are encroaching into Tarambwa’s property.
Online Reporter