Lawyers stop Masvingo evictions

Human rights lawyers in Masvingo have stopped a fresh wave of State-sanctioned evictions that swept through the province last week. Hundreds of villagers had been ordered to vacate and demolish their homesteads after being accused of illegally occupying State land.

Some of the victims claimed that they occupied the land on the strength of offer letters received from the government at the launch of the land reform programme in 2000.