Hwange council displaces villagers

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Hwange Rural District Council has started servicing stands at Ndlovu on the outskirts of Victoria Falls despite protests from villagers and human rights organisations, who view the displacement of villagers to pave way for the suburb as inhumane.

Hwange Rural District Council has started servicing stands at Ndlovu on the outskirts of Victoria Falls despite protests from villagers and human rights organisations, who view the displacement of villagers to pave way for the suburb as inhumane.

Senior Reporter

Reports are that a developer from Gweru was already on the site constructing roads which are said to be at an advanced stage.

The project faced severe resistance from Ndlovu villagers, whose stands were pegged as part of the residential area, with Bulawayo Agenda describing the displacement of the villagers as wanton violation of human rights. The civic group said four of its officials, who were recently acquitted for allegedly contravening the Public Order and Security Act after being arrested in Victoria Falls, were fighting for the rights of the affected villagers.

Council’s vice-chairperson Matthew Muleya yesterday confirmed the new development saying they were going ahead with the project, as they were complementing government efforts to provide cheap accommodation. “We have started very well,” he said.

“So far construction of roads is at an advanced stage and we are also now drawing water from the Victoria Falls Airport to the site. Even those who were resisting the project have come to realise that it was good for them. People resisted because they didn’t know what exactly was happening, but now they are appreciating the whole project.”

Muleya said the project was in line with the government’s ZimAsset policy aimed at providing affordable accommodation.

He said his council and the developer were now mobilising resources to compensate displaced villagers and build them houses at their new land. “We are anticipating that by January we would be handing over built homesteads to the displaced villagers in the same area of Ndlovu,” Muleya said.

“I think you understand that this area was designated a town in 1984 and we are just implementing a project which was lying idle. The villagers are not being inhumanely treated because those whose stands fell in the designated town plan will automatically turn their homesteads into an urban residential stand and also benefit from the homesteads we are building.”