No joy for Gokwe evicted families

Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
About 150 families from Gokwe recently evicted from Chemagora Farm where they had illegally resettled have appealed to Government to intervene and identify another piece of land where they could be moved. The villagers who were left homeless following the eviction have been living in makeshift houses by the roadside along Gokwe-Kwekwe highway for close to a month.
In an interview with The Herald, the families have pleaded with Government to intervene and find an alternative place where they could be resettled. Midlands provincial administrator Mrs Cecilia Chitiyo said the land in question belonged to small- scale farmers. However, she said the ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has since approached the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement proposing that it assesses idle land so that the people would be resettled on that land.

“I might not be able to comment on behalf of the ministry of Land and Resettlement. However, we have approached them and they promised to assess idle land in the province so that our people would be resettled,” she said.
Mr John Fire Gumbo, an affected villager, said Government must intervene so that the illegal settlers would be given amble time to pack their belongings as well as identifying a possible destination.

“I have been living at this farm for more than six years. For all these years we have not been informed that the farm had belonged to an indigenous person. We only learnt recently when the police informed us that we were supposed to vacate the place because we had been illegally resettled.

I have two wives, 24 children and 56 grandchildren whom I am looking after. I can’t just leave at short notice and go to stay with a relative with such a big family,” he said.

Another villager, Mr Zwelinzima Moyo, said most of the evicted villagers were now on the brink of starvation as they had sold most of their produce at a cheaper prize as they face uncertainty. “I have already sold two tonnes of maize to motorists at low prices. The motorists take advantage that we are stranded and propose ridiculous prices.

Most of these villagers are now on the brink of starvation. We are now desperate as we cannot even raise enough money to ferry our belongings back to where we came from,” he said.

Another villager, Ms Maria Mawarira, said most of the children had been withdrawn from school.
“All school-going children have withdrawn from school and their fate is uncertain. Government is responsible for our well-being. In this regard, plead with the responsible ministries to resolve this issue amicably.”