Gun-totting land barons terrorise vapositori

Unrepentant gun-wielding lands barons have beyond reasonable doubt become a menace in Harare's Budiriro high-density suburb where they invade land earmarked for Johane Masowe Nyenyedzinomwe low income earning apostolic members' housing co-operative, threatening a handful church leadership's representative council (Vadare or Vatariri) to either leave the church assembly forthwith whilst still alive or leave for eternity.

While narrating their horrific encounter with the land barons, an anonymous congregant testified that the group arrived at their assembly in an action-packed movie-style while pointing their gun at the members who were waiting for evening prayers and forcibly address them that they will leave no stone unturned unless if the members vacate their shrine henceforth, despite the recent high court decision which bar them from tampering with the church property in question.

The member said, "Honestly am left speechless on the development that we have just encountered in the hands of these land barons and surely am a living testimony to the detriment of these guys who were in possession of a small firearm.

"I know these guys since we used to congregate together since time immemorial and from the moment they show their intentions in forcibly grab church properties and control the services which was in contrary to the founding principles, dictates and values of the church, we sensed that all things have fallen apart.

"The guys commanded us to crawl whilst holding their firearm, to which everyone adhered to whilst claiming that they have strong connections with the police force to an extent that even reporting the case, their report will be considered redundant.

Only God served us from that merciless encounter and they moved around inspecting the residential stands in an endeavor to illegally allocate them amongst unsuspecting clients whom they duped thousands of dollars as claimed by previous victims testified and claimed this has the blessings of the District Officer, Chiratidzo Dzama," the congregant narrates.

When contacted for comment on the alleged association with land barons, Chiratidzo Dzama, the District officer could neither deny nor confirm dealing with the barons and however responded that it is the prerogative of the law enforcement agents to bring the culprits to book and make decisive action which might be taken as a template for would-be perpetrators.

Dzama said, "Yes I can confirm that we work with the group on professional basis and within the confinements of my area of operation as the district officer (D.O) and our relationship emanates from office and ends there not outside their shenanigans or acts of terrorism.

"It would be quite appeasable if you can contact the legal department on their alleged land scam since I could neither confirm nor deny benefiting from their unprofessional proceeds and concerning their case for producing a firearm to threaten members of the church in Budiriro, kindly inquire from the police if they lodged any complaints against the trio.

"Am neither a beneficiary to any alleged corrupt activities levelled against the trio nor the goddess to bless their unbecoming behavior to the Budiriro community," Dzama rhetorically remarks.

Meanwhile, investigations are underway to ascertain the authenticity of claims that one of the officers named Mlilo from the anti-corruption body (Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission, ZACC) is a perennial beneficiary to the illegal land activity proceeds manifest in Budiriro.

Allegations are that the trio, (Clifford Chimusoro, Taurayi Munyika who is notoriously known as Ngoma Inorira (the traditional drum whose sound overshadows all drums) and Muchineripi Utete were once members of the church, but their love for money has resulted them in illegally allocating home-seekers residential stands in wetlands, undesignated sites for sporting and recreation facilities, indiscriminately receiving money from members of the community regardless of their financial background.

Despite frantic efforts by the trio to grab the said piece of land which proved to be a futility when they lost a High Court bid to invade the land whose judgment recognize the church having locus standi over the property, the land barons have constantly terrorise the church members and they resorted to use all means possible to forcibly vacate through acts of banditry, ambush and terror amongst vapositori.

Information gathered by our publication's investigations crew reliably observed that the group owned Ebeenezer 1 and 2 which were indiscrimately allocated on a land that is earmarked for community school and community centre, Simba Mukaka housing co-operative which is on a wetland and several other housing co-operatives which they chair and fleece unsuspecting home-seekers