adminVusumuzi Dube and Lungile Tshuma
GOVERNMENT has set up a team to investigate a land scandal involving ousted Zanu-PF Matabeleland South chairman Cde Andrew Langa and secretary for lands Cde Jabulani Phetshu-Sibanda. Cdes Langa and Phetshu-Sibanda allegedly created five unregistered villages and imposed 17 village heads who illegally sold over 2 000 stands in Insiza North. The land was sold for between $600 and $1 000 or for a single beast.
In an interview, Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Abedinico Ncube said the land scandal had unsettled the provincial leadership.
“We have set up a technical committee on land. When we are done with our investigations we will let you know of the outcome. We looked into the matter after people came forward and also following stories published in the Press,” said Cde Ncube.
“You have to be patient. The world is stationary and there is no need to rush. I do not want to say much because I will be tampering with the investigation.”
The area chief, Chief Jahana, has already fired 28 village heads for allegedly selling land and ordered all those who had bought the stands to vacate the area or risk being forcibly removed.
A number of people who bought stands in the area had already invested in shelter, livestock and boreholes.
Although most declined to be named during interviews with our news crew, they appealed to Government to intervene considering the money they had put into the area.
“I am not fighting anyone. I truly understand why our fellow villagers are angry but what they should understand is that we are not to blame. We thought what we were doing was legal and genuine, we were completely in the dark.
“We were surprised when these revelations were made that we had been taken for a ride. What pains us is that this was only exposed when we had invested thousands of dollars; some of us even took bank loans, as you might see I have a borehole that I drilled here plus my maize crop,” said one of the villagers.
Another newly resettled villager claimed they even feared exposing those they had bought land from as they had received all sorts of threats and were now pushing that they be refunded their money before they moved out.
“Some of the people I know harvested their crops, took whatever property they had and moved out. I just decided to stick around with the hope that someone might hear our story and assist us.
“We have also been accused of not wanting to expose the people who sold the land to us because we have been getting all sorts of threats and we want to make sure that we will be able to get our money if we take the legal route,” said the villager.
Another villager revealed that he had created enemies among his relatives whom he had “connected” to also buy land in the area.
“I have five relatives all settled here and I am the one who connected them with one of the councillors. Now these relatives hate me because they blame me for everything that has happened. I really wish I could reverse what happened but it is not that easy.
“While I understand that Chief Jahana and our fellow villagers are angry we pray that they understand just for the sake of our investment,” said the villager.
This latest land allocation scandal comes just a couple of months after Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Joel Biggie Matiza threatened to expel 20 village headmen from Seke implicated in illegal allocation of over 5 000 stands.
Online Reporter