Tsvangirai threatens to evict resettled farmers

MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has threatened to repossess a farm given to people under the popular land reform programme for resettlement and give it to the MDC-T run Masvingo City Council.

The former Prime Minister said the land should be exclusively set aside for the city's housing programme. Tsvangirai made the remarks while addressing his supporters at Mucheke B Stadium in Masvingo on Saturday.

He said all the land within Masvingo City belonged to the council and should not be used for resettlement.

The MDC-T president said: "Masvingo City Council Mayor, Councillor Hubert Fidze was telling me that government took council land. We're going to reverse that, we can't tolerate their shenanigans anymore."

The government long identified Victoria Ranch Farm for resettlement under the land reform programme but Masvingo City Council has since sold the land to private developers.

Part of the farm, Subdivision two, was allocated to Tadious Muzoroza who was issued with an offer letter. Muzoroza has successfully applied at the courts for the eviction of some people who bought housing stands on his land.

Masvingo Provincial Administrator, Felix Chikovo, recently told The Chronicle that the land was long designated for resettlement under the land reform programme.

"As far as I know, the land was designated for the land reform programme. No one, apart from government, has a right to reverse that. Besides, all land in the country is State land," said Chikovo in an interview.

Tsvangirai said MDC-T has the power to fight for the rights of residents in Masvingo and they will ensure council gets back the disputed land.

"We will not allow that to happen. No land is said to be State land when our people in Masvingo want houses. Housing should take precedence," he said. "Our people in cities and towns should have houses, therefore all land taken by the government through land reform and is within the jurisdiction of local authorities that MDC-T is leading should be repossessed. We don't want land barons here in Masvingo. I'm going to fight to correct that imbalance," he said.

Tsvangirai also attacked state media journalists describing them as Zanu-PF proxies. "I saw a ZBC cameraman here and asked him what he wanted at our rally. I told him to leave. ZBC has become a Zanu-PF representative at our expense. I tell you all journalists who are here, you're going to be answerable one day on what you do, as we're going to take action," he said.

A senior official, Murisi Zwizwai threatened to poke a ZBC cameraman in the face saying, "Iwe ubudise zvaurikutora, wanzwa, ukarega hokoyo (you should broadcast what you're recording here, if you don't do that ,you will be in for it."

Taking a cue from their leader, MDC-T supporters started hurling insults at journalists who were covering the rally. The party's secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora, defended his boss when asked to comment after the rally.

"While it was unfortunate for Zwizwai to point at journalists, that's if he did that, my president wasn't attacking the media per se but was simply saying you must all give us fair coverage," he said.