adminMORE than 160 families from Godarn Denfontein Farm in Masvingo were left homeless after their houses were torched while some were destroyed by police on Friday night following a land ownership dispute with the owner of the farm.
The disgruntled families are living in the open while some are living in makeshift houses on the farm.
The villagers settled on the farm in 2000 during the fast track land reform programme.
The former owner of the farm left it in the custody of a farm manager who later died and left the farm in the custody of his daughter, Ms Tendai Precious Chitumba, who allegedly evicted the families from the farm claiming ownership albeit without title deeds or tenure documents.
One of the evicted villagers, Mr Samson Musekiwa said their houses were set ablaze during the night by the police who were hired by Ms Chitumba, leaving the families homeless.
Mr Musekiwa said the villagers are suspecting that the white farmer still owned the farm and was using Ms Chitumba as a mere figurehead to trick Government and avoid possible eviction.
“We moved into the farm in 2000 during the Third Chimurenga. There was a white farmer whom we displaced and started living here awaiting tenure documents from the Government. The farmer is said to have connived with his manager and allegedly leased it to him so that it would not be redistributed.
“We have been in this farm for 15 years and the problem started recently when the former manager’s daughter, Ms Chitumba ordered the people to vacate the land claiming that the farm was hers. She then went to the police who then came and torched our houses.
“In April this year, three people were shot and injured by the police when they stayed put after being served with an eviction order,” he said.
Mr Musekiwa said the matter is before the High Court.
Online Reporter