THREATS of farm invasions loom large in Matabeleland North and South provinces amid reports police last month chased away Zanu PF activists who had invaded a white-owned farm in Bubi district.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), a human rights group, said its observers in communities had noted threats to grab farms or evict people from their land, all driven by Zanu PF faction politics.
A latest ZPP monitoring human rights violations report for June said Zanu PF activists had to be evicted by police from Phillip Farm in Bubi after they chased away the owner.
“On 17 June, a large group of Zanu PF activists illegally occupied Phillip Farm, in ward 19 of Inyathi. They told the farm manager Rabson Sibanda and other workers to move out as they had taken the farm from the farm owners Brian and his father Phillip. Sibanda reported the matter to the police who told the invaders to move out and not disturb the farmers. Some of the invaders left, but a number of them remained at the farm. Brian, Phillip and manager Sibanda are now uncertain about the future of the farm,” the ZPP report read.
In Matabeleland South, threats of evictions were being driven by Zanu PF faction politics with reports villagers have been accused of having resettled at Lochard area through ousted Zanu PF provincial chairperson Andrew Langa who was suspended from the party for allegedly supporting former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
Mujuru was accused of plotting to unseat President Robert Mugabe through unconstitutional means.
The High Court has since stopped the evictions.
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“A highlight of the province has been continuous threats of land invasions driven by factional politics. In a case of clear victimisation of innocent people, on 15 June 2015 in Lochard area, authorities issued eviction orders to over 300 000 villagers who they accused of having been resettled by ousted provincial chairperson Andrew Langa,” the ZPP report added.
“Langa is a government minister and local Member of Parliament and has been accused of belonging to former VP Mujuru’s camp. He was removed by a vote of no confidence. All villagers who have been settled in the area over the past five years are being threatened with eviction.”
