News / Regional
Matobo land demonstrations: 40 arrested
23 Sep 2016 at 12:13hrs | Views
At least 40 people including MDCT Matobo senator, Sithembile Mlotshwa are in police custody following a foiled community land demonstration.
Over two hundred heavily armed anti riot police officers and state security agents pounced on the villagers mid morning today as they prepared to match to the district lands office to present a petition requesting for the reversal of eviction orders issued to villagers living around the ARDA estate in Maphisa.
Government is evicting the over 1000 villagers in order to extend the boundaries of the estate which was recently leased out to a private investors at the initiative of Vice President Emerson Munangagwa.
In a statement to media, Chairman of the Restoration Of Human Rights International Matabeleland South chapter, Mr Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo said that the forty villagers have been held at the police station for eight hours without a charge laid against them.
Fuzwayo said that his organisation has since managed to get lawyers from Abammeli Human Rights Lawyers in Bulawayo who are on their way to seek release of the forty.
Police in Maphisa declined to talk to media on the arrest of the forty.
Over two hundred heavily armed anti riot police officers and state security agents pounced on the villagers mid morning today as they prepared to match to the district lands office to present a petition requesting for the reversal of eviction orders issued to villagers living around the ARDA estate in Maphisa.
Government is evicting the over 1000 villagers in order to extend the boundaries of the estate which was recently leased out to a private investors at the initiative of Vice President Emerson Munangagwa.
Fuzwayo said that his organisation has since managed to get lawyers from Abammeli Human Rights Lawyers in Bulawayo who are on their way to seek release of the forty.
Police in Maphisa declined to talk to media on the arrest of the forty.
Source - Byo24News
