adminThe war veteran, Cde Jethro Sibanda, was reported to have been evicted from his plot in Village Two Extension, tied up and bundled into a truck and dumped in Figtree.
Cde June Masango, a village head in the area, and Cde Dominic Ndlovu, a war veteran in the same area, visited Chronicle offices yesterday and said they wanted to “set the record straight” adding that Cde Sibanda’s neighbour, Cde Lawrence Mpofu, was next.
Armed with letters written to Headman Dlodlo of the village where Cde Sibanda stayed and signed by Umguza District war veterans chairman, Cde William Ncube, requesting the eviction of the two, Cdes Ndlovu and Masango said the allegations by Cde Sibanda were untrue.
They said the eviction was proper as the two had been found guilty of cattle rustling, poaching and harassing villagers by the chief.
Part of the letter reads: “We as Umguza war veterans do agree that the above-named should be evicted and sent back to their original places, as newly resettled farmers of Springs Farm and Chief Sigola’s residents have totally failed to stay in harmony with them as they continue stealing and slaughtering people’s cattle, cutting down trees for sale and harassing people.
“Residents of both areas are living in fear for their lives and are desperately looking for someone to free them from these two troublesome and destructive people,” reads the statement.
Cde Ndlovu said what they were doing was above board.
“We refute all what was said by Cde Sibanda. We did not tie him up, we did not dump him. He was evicted legitimately by the chief because of poaching and cattle rustling,” he said.
Cde Ndlovu said the chief had tried in vain to create dialogue with Cdes Sibanda and Mpofu to come up with an amicable solution.
He said Cde Sibanda’s narration of the events on the day of the eviction was completely distorted.
“Villagers numbering about 90 drawn from village one, two, three and three extension came on the day Cde Sibanda was evicted.
“He (Cde Sibanda) tried to escape and was caught by the youth, his wife was held by women that were there and they were both put into the truck along with their children.
“Our main aim was to leave him in Plumtree where he is from but the money we paid to hire the truck was little hence we decided to leave him by the road at the turn-off going to Usher Girls High School along Plumtree road,” Cde Ndlovu said.
When he was questioned on the whereabouts of Cde Sibanda’s property he said some of the property was taken to Headman Masango’s residence by his first wife.
“His property was taken to Headman Masango’s homestead by his wife and it is not much, it is just zinc roofing sheets and his fence,” Cde Ndlovu said.
He said before the end of the week they would evict Cde Sibanda’s neighbour, Cde Mpofu, and take him to Lupane, his village of origin.
Online Reporter