Residents seeks govt protection

houses recently demolished in Epworth by a local development company, Sunway City (Pvt) Ltd.
The private developer demolished the structures to force the residents out of the land.
The demolitions were carried out on the strength of a High Court order to evict the residents from the land, which the company claims was set aside as an industrial park.
However, desperate home seekers who have benefited from a housing development co-operative in Harare South believe Government should give them protection. At least 1 500 residents have started building their houses on Orda Farm where close to 2 500 stands were pegged for future sale by the former owners.
The residents are building on a section reserved for Amsterdam Park, according to maps obtained from the farm’s previous owner. Mr Isiah Muchazorwa, a beneficiary, said most of them did not benefit from any other forms of the land reform programme.
“We have been looking for land to build our homes and this programme actually gives us an opportunity to benefit from the land reform programme.”
He said the beneficiaries are waiting for a payment plan to pay for the stands.
“We have the money to build but there is no land because there are people claiming it across the city.
“Government should assist us to get the title deeds to the land on which we are. We are building our houses because we are prepared to pay for it.”
The stands were initially meant for sale by the previous owners but it belonged to the State.
“We are beneficiaries of the land reform programme so we will continue building until we get our title deeds,” he said.
Mrs Beauty Midziguri, whose father worked for the previous owners, said the programme needed Government support.
“My father who used to work for the white farmers benefited and we are staying here until he gets money to build his house.
“The stands were pegged a long time ago and it is good that our leaders have decided to service the stands while we wait for a Government plan for water, sewer and other amenities to be installed.”
The programme is being led by some of the first people to occupy the farm during the fast-track land reform programme. Cde Ephraim Fundikwa said they moved onto the farm at the height of the land reform programme in 2000.
“The whites knew that the land reform programme was inevitable and they started pegging the stands way back in 1987 for re-sale.
“When we came here we discovered the maps showing the sub-divisions on Orda and Stoneridge farms for residential stands.”
He said the first occupiers who had built their houses were affected by Operation Murambatsvina. Cde Trust Rutsvara said the project was started by youths from Mbare East constituency.
“We were led by war veterans such as Cdes Chitsinde, Kowo, Gono, Mabhunu Muchapera and others who took over operations from the former white owners of these farms.
“We formed co-operatives that suffered during Murambatsvina but some of us stayed on the land.”
He said they are waiting for Government to advise them on where to make payments for the stands.
“These stands belong to Zimbabweans who are prepared to pay for them because all we want is to provide accommodation for the people,” he said.
Cde Rutsvara said: “We are guided by Government’s directive that no-one should pay for this land until we are advised otherwise but we will continue building our houses.”
Most of the beneficiaries are drawn from the judiciary, security and other sectors of society. Government recently directed that no land developer or co-operative should charge the residents for the stands. The residents have also been advised to stay on the land.