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Lovemore Meya Herald Correspondent
OVER 6 000 families in Chinhanga Village, Ward 1 in Seke communal lands face eviction following reports that they illegally occupied the land, Manyame Rural District Council chief executive officer Ms Farirai Guta has said. Ms Guta said following a Government directive for land auditing, it was established that there were rampant illegal land deals in the area.

“There is haphazard settlement with illegal settlers. As council, we are trying to bring in sanity by implementing a Government directive to register and restructure the area to an urban set-up. We have surveyors on the ground who are in the process of pegging stands.

“More than 6 000 families occupying the land illegally face eviction. It is a layout approved by Government, there are a lot of issues since some of them were given an instruction to stop developments, but they continued,” she said.

She said council was moving around identifying illegal sites and relocating people to proper sites.

“After we moved around the place, we noted that some of the structures were erected where there are supposed to be roads. We are going to help those relocate to suitable sites within the same area,” said Ms Guta.

When asked to comment on why council was asking for $1 000 cash from the settlers, Ms Guta said it was a penalty fee for illegal sale of land.

This follows disturbances in the area with the settlers accusing council of being corrupt and malfunctioning.

“These people are criminals, they are demanding $1 000 from the owner of the stand as penalty fee for giving a stand to your son or daughter. If you fail to produce it, they are subdividing it and giving someone else with money a 180 square metre stand.

“If council knew from the onset should have told us to stop developments since these are our rural homes.

“Where are we supposed to go if we are being kicked out of our rural areas? I think Government should do something and come to our rescue,” said Oliver Tangwara of Chinhanga Village.

Added another villager: “Council police is disturbing our peace, they are coming into our homes knocking even at night demanding to see an agreement of sale, if one fails to provide it, they demand $1 000. Why are they placing pegs even inside our houses?”

Ward 1 Village Head Langton Rusirevi said what was happening in his area was disturbing.

“What is currently happening is very disturbing. They took all my land including the grazing area is now full of houses. Where are our cattle going to graze and even our fields were taken and given to some people by council,” he said.