Government goes quiet after Chingwizi threats

Tokwe Mukorsi flood victims have not seen or heard anything from Government since Minister of State for Masvingo addressed and gave them an ultimatum to leave the holding camp three weeks ago.

Masvingo Mirror reported that Mahofa who was accompanied by all Government provincial heads told the 3 000 families to start leaving Chingwizi in two weeks and complete the process by the fourth week.

She told them that she was going to arrange logistics including transport that would take them to their newly pegged five-hectare plots.

"Mahofa came last month and threatened to move all the people regardless of whether they got compensation or not. This is what Government officials have been doing to us since 2014, playing with our time and making baseless statements.

"They love coming here maybe because they are given allowances for that. Mahofa promised that within a month all people would be moved to new settlements but there is nothing. We are still crying out for compensation after our homes were destroyed to clear way for Tokwe-Mkosi Dam.

More than 1894 people are yet to receive compensation while only 589 were paid in 2014, we may get to the rainy season again and we will not plant any crop again" said Tapson Makusha one of Chingwizi residents.

Mahofa's mobile phone was unreachable upto the time of going to Press.
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) Director, Okay Machisa said Government was violating the Chingwizi people's rights and the situation needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

 "The people of Chingwizi are not able to plan their lives because they don't know what will happen to them tomorrow. This is a clear violation of human rights by the Government. The disaster was caused by Government, they are the ones who constructed the dam. The constitution states that government should protect its people from national disasters and this issue should be brought to finality without delay" said Machisa.