Kasukuwere orders councils not to evict villagers

LOCAL authorities should not evict villagers without first conducting consultations and having a compensation plan, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Addressing a Zanu-PF star rally attended by thousands of supporters at Gwindingwi High School in Bikita on Wednesday, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development, Saviours Kasukuwere, said rural district councils should respect villagers despite having legal control over land in their respective areas.

The Minister said it was inhumane for councils to leave villagers homeless under the guise of urban expansion programmes.

Kasukuwere said this during a rally addressed by Acting President Phelekezela Mphoko meant to drum up support for Zanu-PF candidate, Beauty Chabaya, ahead of the Bikita West by–election set for tomorrow.

"Local authorities' especially rural district councils have a tendency of arbitrarily evicting villagers living within their jurisdiction for expansion purposes.

While council has control over the land in question, it is prudent for them to engage the community first," said Kasukuwere.

He said all council evictions should be procedural to avoid plunging villagers into a social crisis.

"Before any eviction is carried out by council, villagers should get their compensation so as not to create any social challenges. Villagers' welfare should take precedence and land for their resettlement should be secured first before they are evicted.

"Given the fact that the villagers in most cases would have built their homesteads, they have to be compensated by the council concerned," Kasukuwere said.