Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Villagers fight governor over land

Villagers fight governor over land
27/10/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

SOME Zvishavane villagers have approached the High Court in a bid to block Midlands Governor, Jason Machaya, from evicting them from their land and selling it off to private buyers for US$3,000 for each plot.
Justice Nicholas Mathonsi heard the case last Thursday but his reserved judgement.

The 19 villagers, all from Mabhula Reset­tlement Scheme, claimed that Machaya swooped on the area on October 11 with a convoy of vehicles and a posse of aides who told them that their homesteads would be burned down if they did not vacate the land within 48 hours.
Machaya is said to have only offered to provide transport to ferry the villagers and their property to a farm in Shurugwi.

“They were told (by the governor) that there is no compensation for their structures and they were ordered to sell their (livestock) so that they could (raise) money to construct new homes at their new sites,” the villagers said in papers before the court.

They further claimed that Machaya had already subdivided their lands for residential purposes and sold it off the private buyers at US$3,000 a pop without informing them.

“The applicants discovered it (the taking of the land) after they noticed some earth moving machines and some adverts placed in Zvishavane Town advising the sale of their land,” the court papers read.

But Machaya denied the allegations and said he had only applied for the land through the office of the Rural and Urban Development Ministry and was yet to receive a response.

“It is not correct that the land in question has been sub-divided into residential stands and are being sold for US$3,000 by the first defendant (Governor Machaya), nor is it cor­rect that first defendant sold the land to private entity or person at rate of US$0,50 per square meter as alleged by plaintiff,” he said.

Labels: JASON MACHAYA, LAND RIGHTS

posted by MrK @ 6:31 AM