19 Zanu-PF bigwigs evicted

Nineteen Zanu-PF bigwigs who evicted about 350 villagers from Ruware Ranch in the Chiredzi River Conservancy last month allegedly used a fraudulent court order to eject the A1 farmers, Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has said.

The villagers have now returned at the 3 000 hectare farm.

"The families are back . . . they were evicted using a fraudulent court order made on the basis that the A1 farmers' lawyer was not present at the last hearing of the case," Bhasikiti said.

"The villagers were legally settled there and had certificates of occupation, hence the reversal of that decision," Bhasikiti said in a telephone interview.

The villagers, drawn from Bikita, Zaka, Mwenezi, Chiredzi and Gutu, under the often chaotic land reform programme were temporarily left homeless after being booted out by the police and the Messenger of Court, and dumped in an open, bushy area 25km away at Manjirenji Dam while others were left 40km away near Checheche business centre.

Party heavyweights, including some securocrats, were awarded 25-year leases at the conservancy by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority last year.

"Those are the people who authored the eviction order and it is sad they are black people for that matter. They obtained a court order because the government lawyer did not go to court on the day it was heard. They used that eviction order to eject the farmers," Bhasikiti said.

Among those that were granted the annual hunting quota licences after paying $350 last year are the late Higher and Tertiary Education minister Stan Mudenge, former Masvingo governor Titus Maluleke, Shuvai Mahofa, former Chiredzi North MP Ronald Ndava, Chiredzi South MP Ailess Baloyi, Livingstone Chineka and Enock Porusingazi.

However, Bhasikiti said the villagers had long occupied the formerly white-owned conservancy.

"The villagers were there before," Bhasikiti said.

The licences were given in August last year.