Sundaymail Editor
Nyore Madzianike
More than 2 000 households, a clinic and four schools that were set to be evicted from Whitecliffe Farm in Harare will soon own the pieces of land they are occupying after the owner decided to regularise their occupation.
Eddies Pfugari Properties, who owns the land, have started engagements with residents through their representatives.
Whitecliffe South Residents Association chairman Mr Maxwell Gwatirere has since welcomed the development, which came more than 10 years after they were wrongfully settled at the farm.
“This is a welcome development and we have since agreed with the owner, Eddies Pfugari.
“We are aware that there was an eviction order from the High Court, but the owner is saying he will not evict us but will start to sell the stands to those in occupation.
“People have started paying towards the stands, and we will soon be getting title deeds for the stands,” he said.
Whitecliffe North Residents Association chairman Mr Benias Runhukwa thanked Eddies Pfugari Properties for making the decision and said regularisation will give relief to many families who have been staying on the verge of eviction.
Mr Runhukwa indicated that they will engage the Ministry of Local Government and inform them of the development.
Land developer Mr Edward Tanyanyiwa (Jnr) revealed that his company resolved to regularise and stop evictions.
“We have noted that evicting these people from the land will be chaotic and inhumane considering the number of those to be affected and the consequences thereafter.
“When their representatives came, we said let us work together, but we want everything to go through legal channels.
“Our lawyers have already started the engagement processes with the bank and the residents’ representatives,” he said.
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