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Pandemonium as Gilston Farm is set on fire
2 hrs ago |
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There was pandemonium at Gilston Farm in Manyame after large sections of the property went up in flames, in what war veterans and collaborators occupying the land believe was an arson attack orchestrated by land barons using youths to invade the farm.
The occupants said the suspected invaders want to forcefully remove lawful beneficiaries who were settled on the land many years ago.
The latest developments come amid ongoing tensions at Gilston Farm, where a group of machete‑wielding youths — allegedly deployed by powerful land barons — recently invaded the property belonging to 39 beneficiaries, mostly war veterans and war collaborators of the Second Chimurenga. The youths were reportedly chanting slogans and pegging land, signalling an attempted takeover.
War veterans said they were shocked to see the bushes and livestock pastures engulfed in flames, a situation that sent animals scattering for safety.
“Livestock have been displaced on the farm as the land barons set Gilston Farm on fire,” the veterans said.
“We are really troubled by this continued harassment by the invaders and the land barons.”
In January, reports of land grabs by alleged Zanu‑PF figures in Manyame district angered party members, with some describing the actions as “evil and retrogressive”, warning that such conduct tarnishes the party’s image.
A syndicate allegedly led by Manyame Rural District Ward 10 Councillor Eddius Sibanda and Zanu‑PF DCC chairman Chotodya was previously accused of terrorising war veterans, women and children in Seke District, targeting Longlands and Gilston farms and threatening mass displacement.
Recent reports indicate that war veterans with official documentation are being overwhelmed by land barons believed to have connections to highly placed political and business elites. The veterans say the farm is being targeted because of its proximity to the rapidly expanding Harare metropolitan area.
“They are initiating a brutal and barbaric attack on defenceless war veterans and families who have been official occupiers of the land since 2002,” one veteran said.“Many of the veterans living here have visible disabilities acquired during the liberation struggle.”
The War Veterans Association has previously stated that Gilston Farm was strategically allocated to injured ex‑combatants to ensure easy access to medical services due to its closeness to Harare.
“It remains perplexing and distressing that war veterans with official land permits are subjected to such ruthless treatment 46 years after independence,” locals said.
One war veteran said the invading gang arrived wielding machetes and began pegging land despite the area already being occupied by disabled war veterans.
The occupants said the suspected invaders want to forcefully remove lawful beneficiaries who were settled on the land many years ago.
The latest developments come amid ongoing tensions at Gilston Farm, where a group of machete‑wielding youths — allegedly deployed by powerful land barons — recently invaded the property belonging to 39 beneficiaries, mostly war veterans and war collaborators of the Second Chimurenga. The youths were reportedly chanting slogans and pegging land, signalling an attempted takeover.
War veterans said they were shocked to see the bushes and livestock pastures engulfed in flames, a situation that sent animals scattering for safety.
“Livestock have been displaced on the farm as the land barons set Gilston Farm on fire,” the veterans said.
“We are really troubled by this continued harassment by the invaders and the land barons.”
In January, reports of land grabs by alleged Zanu‑PF figures in Manyame district angered party members, with some describing the actions as “evil and retrogressive”, warning that such conduct tarnishes the party’s image.
A syndicate allegedly led by Manyame Rural District Ward 10 Councillor Eddius Sibanda and Zanu‑PF DCC chairman Chotodya was previously accused of terrorising war veterans, women and children in Seke District, targeting Longlands and Gilston farms and threatening mass displacement.
Recent reports indicate that war veterans with official documentation are being overwhelmed by land barons believed to have connections to highly placed political and business elites. The veterans say the farm is being targeted because of its proximity to the rapidly expanding Harare metropolitan area.
“They are initiating a brutal and barbaric attack on defenceless war veterans and families who have been official occupiers of the land since 2002,” one veteran said.“Many of the veterans living here have visible disabilities acquired during the liberation struggle.”
The War Veterans Association has previously stated that Gilston Farm was strategically allocated to injured ex‑combatants to ensure easy access to medical services due to its closeness to Harare.
“It remains perplexing and distressing that war veterans with official land permits are subjected to such ruthless treatment 46 years after independence,” locals said.
One war veteran said the invading gang arrived wielding machetes and began pegging land despite the area already being occupied by disabled war veterans.
Source - Byo24news
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