Gokwe families face eviction

Lungile Tshuma Sunday News Correspondent
CLOSE to 2 000 farmers from Chemagora communal lands in Gokwe are set to be evicted and resettled in a nearby area after they invaded about 54 000 hectares of black-owned farms, a development that is likely to end a land dispute which spans nearly a decade. Farmers, who are set to be evicted have been engaged in farm ownership wrangles with black farm owners.

Confirming the development, Chief Njelele said Government was not going back on the evictions. He said Government would soon allocate the 2 000 farmers land where they would be relocated so that they start preparing for the coming farming season.

“It is true that thousands of farmers are going to be evicted. The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Midlands (Cde Jason Machaya) is handling the matter and very soon the Government will resettle them,” said Chief Njelele.

“The reason why villagers are being evicted is because they invaded black owned farms and the law does not allow that. These villagers invaded 54 000 hectares of land which is more than 48 farms.”

Chief Njelele also said villagers had, however, accepted eviction because there was no way “they can revolt or reject the move” because they illegally resettled themselves.
“The farmers have no choice. They cannot revolt or reject the move because they are not supposed to be where they are. What they want is land hence what matters most is that they get the land not anything else,” Chief Njelele said.

The farmers recently donated 30 tonnes of maize to Tokwe-Mukosi flood victims after they had recorded a bumper harvest this year.
Recently, Government through the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement made it clear that no one was allowed to settle on any piece of land without lawful authority from the ministry.

As a way to end the farm wrangle, Government gave Cde Machaya the mandate to settle the dispute.
Contacted for comment, Cde Machaya said the province was prepared to resettle farmers who are going to benefit from the 42 000 hectares of land that the State has set aside for resettling about 5 000 people from both Gokwe North and South.

“The government will evict thousands of farmers from Chemagora area and resettle them at Chirisa Game Park. We have identified about 35 000 hectares of land where people are going to be resettled,” said Cde Machaya.

“Those who will be evicted will be part of the 5 000 farmers who are yet to be resettled at Chirisa. Professionals from Arex and the Lands Office are on the ground to ensure that everything is done properly.”

He could, however, not give an exact date when farmers are going to be evicted. He said there were some processes that still needed to be fulfilled.
Cde Machaya also said the land identified would also be used to resettle people from anywhere else in the province who would want to effectively use it.