News / National
10 000 families face eviction, given 3 weeks ultimatum
11 Jan 2015 at 09:37hrs | Views
THE Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement has given over 10 000 families in Gweru, Shurugwi and Chirumhanzu districts who were illegally settled by chiefs Nhema, Gambiza and Chirumhanzu, a three-week ultimatum to vacate various areas in three districts.
Police have a standing order to evict all the illegal settlers and land invaders.
In an interview, Midlands provincial lands officer, Mr Joseph Shoko, said the ministry had given the chiefs up to 1 February this year to evict the people they illegally resettled in different farms in their respective districts.
Mr Shoko said Government policy was clear on who had the mandate to resettle people in resettlement areas considering that Government was yet to gazette new boundaries for chiefs.
He said there were about 10 000 illegal settlers in the three districts who were resettled by the three chiefs without the knowledge of ministry officials.
"We summoned three chiefs who were being accused of having illegally resettled people in different farms in their respective districts. We gave them up to 1 February to remove all the people they resettled in those areas failure of which we will take remedial action instantly.
"There are about 8 000 illegal settlers in Shurugwi District and about 2 000 in Gweru and Chirumhanzu. These have to return to where they came from," he said.
Mr Shoko said in some instances, the settlers were made to pay $1 each to get a plot by one of the chiefs.
"We have a case where Headman Kunota from Shurugwi resettled 302 people in areas reserved as grazing land for livestock. These had to pay to get a plot. We are not really sure what the money was for but it is illegal to do that as far as we are concerned," he said.
Chief Nhema said he was going to comply with the Government directive and remove the people within the stipulated time.
He conceded that the process of resettling people in Shurugwi by people who were working under his instruction was not sanctioned by the lands ministry.
"We are going to comply with the directive. What happened was not procedural that is why we were called by ministry officials to map the way forward. We faulted and we are going to resolve the problem," he said.
Chief Nhema had resettled people in Linslade, Hashu and Albany Farms in Chirumhanzu in August 2013.
The three farms were gazetted in 2000 and the lands ministry resettled 302 families and issued them with offer letters.
Each beneficiary was allocated 20 hectares of land and part of the land was reserved as grazing areas.
Chief Nhema went on to write a letter compelling the ministry to formalise the resettlement as well as issuing his illegally resettled families with offer letters arguing that the farms fell under his jurisdiction.
The land in question falls under the jurisdiction of the Gweru land committee.
Police have a standing order to evict all the illegal settlers and land invaders.
In an interview, Midlands provincial lands officer, Mr Joseph Shoko, said the ministry had given the chiefs up to 1 February this year to evict the people they illegally resettled in different farms in their respective districts.
Mr Shoko said Government policy was clear on who had the mandate to resettle people in resettlement areas considering that Government was yet to gazette new boundaries for chiefs.
He said there were about 10 000 illegal settlers in the three districts who were resettled by the three chiefs without the knowledge of ministry officials.
"We summoned three chiefs who were being accused of having illegally resettled people in different farms in their respective districts. We gave them up to 1 February to remove all the people they resettled in those areas failure of which we will take remedial action instantly.
"There are about 8 000 illegal settlers in Shurugwi District and about 2 000 in Gweru and Chirumhanzu. These have to return to where they came from," he said.
Mr Shoko said in some instances, the settlers were made to pay $1 each to get a plot by one of the chiefs.
Chief Nhema said he was going to comply with the Government directive and remove the people within the stipulated time.
He conceded that the process of resettling people in Shurugwi by people who were working under his instruction was not sanctioned by the lands ministry.
"We are going to comply with the directive. What happened was not procedural that is why we were called by ministry officials to map the way forward. We faulted and we are going to resolve the problem," he said.
Chief Nhema had resettled people in Linslade, Hashu and Albany Farms in Chirumhanzu in August 2013.
The three farms were gazetted in 2000 and the lands ministry resettled 302 families and issued them with offer letters.
Each beneficiary was allocated 20 hectares of land and part of the land was reserved as grazing areas.
Chief Nhema went on to write a letter compelling the ministry to formalise the resettlement as well as issuing his illegally resettled families with offer letters arguing that the farms fell under his jurisdiction.
The land in question falls under the jurisdiction of the Gweru land committee.
Source - Sunday News
