CHIREDZI-There was drama when more than 100 villagers who are refusing to be displaced from Nuanetsi Ranch in Chiredzi North constituency teamed up last week and severely assaulted Chiredzi District Administrator (DA) Clara Muzenda and district police boss Superintendent Partson Nyabadza before forcing them to sing “Povo yaramba” song.
The car which they were driving was damaged by a marauding crowd.
According to eye witnesses, Muzenda who was in the company of a councillor only identified as Nyathi and Nyabadza were last week informing settlers in the ranch near Lundi that they should be prepared to leave the area by 30 September this year.
However, sources say the message did not go well with villagers who teamed up and blocked the road with tree branches, poles and stones. According to impeccable sources, hell broke loose when the trio got off the car so that they would explain the matter to villagers. They were not awarded any chance to explain as villagers started to beat them.
Supt Nyabadza described villagers as ignorant saying he was not the right person to comment to the press. Though Nyabadza could not neither deny nor accept that they got a through beating from villagers, he was clear that they encountered a ‘problem’ with villagers in Lundi Section.
“There is nothing much. You should talk to the DA for all the details but in brief, it was a small problem with ignorant villagers there. We are actually planning another meeting with them,” said Nyabadza.
Nyabadza acknowledged that villagers in the area had their own fears
“They have fears and they should be educated,” he added.
The DA could not be reached for comment by the time of going to press as her official landline phone went unanswered.
However, Chiredzi North legislator Ronald Ndava said he was aware that the DA and police boss had encountered a problem with villagers but had no finer details of what happened.
“I talked to Nyabadza over the phone and he indicated to me that they encountered a problem with villagers in Lundi Section. I am yet to get the actual details of what exactly happened but there is greater need to inform the villagers that the programme is not hostile,” said Ndava.
There are at least 5021 families settled in the area. However, their future in the area is not certain as there are reports that they should be relocated to another area as the ranch is supposed to be taken over by a private company.
“The team which went to the area are on enumeration exercise. They want to find out an exact number of people settled there. The programme might finally benefit the villagers,” Ndava added.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Chivi South (which shares the boundary with Lundi area) Irvene Dzingirai could not be drawn in to commenting saying he was busy with other business in Harare.
“The issue is complicated; I cannot comment anything for now. I a busy doing other business in Harare,” said Dzingirai.
The Mirror was informed that by Monday, at least eight villagers including a councillor were arrested.
“They are arresting people in our area following last week’s incident. I can confirm that eight people have been arrested by police from Chiredzi so far,” said a source who refused to be named.
Masvingo Mirror
