News / Regional
War veterans barred from demonstrating
05 Feb 2015 at 06:52hrs | Views
ANTI-riot police yesterday barred Matabeleland South war veterans from demonstrating against Umzingwane District Administrator, Bekithemba Ndlovu and Zanu-PF district coordinator, Sidojiwe Sigola whom they accuse of parcelling out land to "outsiders."
Police highlighted to the ex-combatants that they were not sanctioned to hold the demonstration that they wanted to hold at the DA's offices.
The Umzingwane lands committee, Ndlovu and Sigola who is also ward 19 councillor, are accused of parcelling out land at Khomane and Crocodile farms to people from Bulawayo.
When a Chronicle news crew visited Esigodini yesterday, police officers carrying baton sticks were milling around a road leading to the DA's offices.
War veterans later on convened a meeting where they called for the ouster of Sigola, Ndlovu as well as the member-in-charge of Esigodini police station only identified as Inspector Mabhungu.
Johnson Mguni, a war veteran told the meeting that Sigola was supposed to be ousted because he had failed to protect war veterans from "land grabbers" despite the fact that he was also an ex-combatant.
He added that there was no transparency in the distribution of land.
"Among ourselves, we have people with two different characters. In the afternoon, they chant slogans with us but at night they're completely different. Sigola is busy resettling some people on our land. Where do you expect us to be settled? This is very painful because some of them are from Bulawayo," said Mguni.
"Umzingwane administrators must relinquish their posts. They don't apply principles of the liberation struggle. We've a right to demonstrate. It's allowed in our constitution but the member-in-charge is stopping us. We want to know who declined to accept our letter. Who's this one to bar us from presenting our grievances?"
Another war veteran only identified as Moyo said he had been arrested twice for trying to protect his area from alleged invaders.
"We're being barred from saying our views. Last year, I was called two times to the High Court and accused of trying to stop people from being resettled in our area in ward 17. District offices are using Mabhungu. What must be done to him? Let him be fired," said Moyo.
Sigola, who also attended the meeting said people were busy spreading falsehoods that he was corrupt.
"If you don't want me as your leader, you may remove me from power. The problem is that you confuse Chief Sigola of Umzingwane and tell him negative things about me. Mabhungu interferes in our own affairs. People should learn to run their own houses," he said.
Police highlighted to the ex-combatants that they were not sanctioned to hold the demonstration that they wanted to hold at the DA's offices.
The Umzingwane lands committee, Ndlovu and Sigola who is also ward 19 councillor, are accused of parcelling out land at Khomane and Crocodile farms to people from Bulawayo.
When a Chronicle news crew visited Esigodini yesterday, police officers carrying baton sticks were milling around a road leading to the DA's offices.
War veterans later on convened a meeting where they called for the ouster of Sigola, Ndlovu as well as the member-in-charge of Esigodini police station only identified as Inspector Mabhungu.
Johnson Mguni, a war veteran told the meeting that Sigola was supposed to be ousted because he had failed to protect war veterans from "land grabbers" despite the fact that he was also an ex-combatant.
He added that there was no transparency in the distribution of land.
"Among ourselves, we have people with two different characters. In the afternoon, they chant slogans with us but at night they're completely different. Sigola is busy resettling some people on our land. Where do you expect us to be settled? This is very painful because some of them are from Bulawayo," said Mguni.
"Umzingwane administrators must relinquish their posts. They don't apply principles of the liberation struggle. We've a right to demonstrate. It's allowed in our constitution but the member-in-charge is stopping us. We want to know who declined to accept our letter. Who's this one to bar us from presenting our grievances?"
Another war veteran only identified as Moyo said he had been arrested twice for trying to protect his area from alleged invaders.
"We're being barred from saying our views. Last year, I was called two times to the High Court and accused of trying to stop people from being resettled in our area in ward 17. District offices are using Mabhungu. What must be done to him? Let him be fired," said Moyo.
Sigola, who also attended the meeting said people were busy spreading falsehoods that he was corrupt.
"If you don't want me as your leader, you may remove me from power. The problem is that you confuse Chief Sigola of Umzingwane and tell him negative things about me. Mabhungu interferes in our own affairs. People should learn to run their own houses," he said.
Source - chronicle
