War veteran battles eviction after gold discovery

A 76-year-old war veteran in Sanyati is facing eviction from his farm after the discovery of gold deposits sparked a bitter dispute now before the courts.

Timothy Tivoro, an ex-combatant, says he risks losing his six-hectare Easterlea Farm - Plot 1, Village A - where he has lived and farmed since 1999 after being resettled under a presidential scheme.

Tivoro told NewsDay that he is appealing for government intervention, arguing that he is being unfairly pushed off land he has occupied for over two decades.

"I was relocated from my first farm in Sanyati in 1999 to pave way for dam construction under a presidential scheme and I was given a six-hectare farm at Easterlea in the same year," he said.

According to Tivoro, the dispute began after he hired a local man, Lawrence Kazungu, for manual work. Tensions escalated following the discovery of gold deposits on the farm in 2018.

He said he was granted a special mining permit under SG7660 but alleges that Kazungu later attempted to take control of the land.

"The person I employed tried to change everything because of my age. He connived with some officials from the Ministry of Mines," Tivoro claimed. "Kazungu is being greedy and I do not understand why he is doing this."

Tivoro further alleged that Kazungu, who had initially operated a chrome mine nearby, encroached onto his land and manipulated farm coordinates. He claimed that officials implicated in the alleged irregularities were subsequently dismissed.

The dispute also drew in former Mines minister Winston Chitando, who cancelled Kazungu's mining licence after determining that the claim had been illegally pegged.

In a letter dated July 16, 2018, Chitando upheld the cancellation of Phoebe 49 Mine, stating that it had been registered in violation of the Mines and Minerals Act and without the landowner's consent.

However, Kazungu has rejected Tivoro's claims, maintaining that his operations are lawful and properly documented.

"I stay with him in the same village," Kazungu said. "He is lying that he is a war veteran. Ask him to show you a payslip indicating that he is a war veteran. He is trying to create a dispute and we have all the necessary papers."

The case, which highlights growing tensions over mineral-rich land, is now before the courts, with Tivoro hoping authorities will intervene to secure his stay on the farm.