Proton Farm evictions stopped, Mukupe offer letter withdrawn

Victor Maphosa Mashonaland East Bureau

Government has assured A1 farmers as well as families who settled on Proton Farm in Goromonzi that they will not be evicted.

This follows an outcry from the families who settled on the farm in 2000, that Mr Terrence Mukupe was now putting in motion a plan to evict them to pave way for his housing scheme project.

However, this weekend, a high powered delegation led by National Housing and Social Ammenities Minister Daniel Garwe went to the farm to address the affected people and to tell them that President Mnangagwa has assured them that they will not be evicted.

“I have come to tell you that President Mnangagwa has heard your concerns. You will not be evicted from this farm,” Minister Garwe said, before warning land barons that they wil be arrested.

Meanwhile, Minister Garwe as the acting Minister of Local Government and Public Works has since written to Mr Mukupe’s organisation’s Farmtel Investments (Pvt) Ltd informing them of the withdrawl of the land offer.

“The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works regrets to advise that it has cancelled/withdrawn the above allocation to your organisation.

“The cancellation has been necessitated by the absence of critical bulk offsite infrastructural services particularly water provision and sewer reticulation connectivity which are important to housing schemes of such a magnitude to avert diseases outbreaks.

“Furthermore, the cancellation is being premised on unresolved double allocation with A1 farmers who were allocated the same piece of land by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development and whose matter has not been finalised to date. The Government presently has no alternative agricultural land to relocate the farmers to,” reads the letter.