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Masvingo Correspondent
Tugwi-Mukosi flood victims that were resettled at Chingwizi in Mwenezi East are up in arms with businessman Mr Billy Rautenbach, whom they accuse of refusing to allow them access to potable water at the vast Nuanetsi Ranch.

The families want Government to intervene and instruct Mr Rautenbach to co-exist with them.

Chingwizi is one of the properties under the vast Nuanetsi Ranch which is currently under the control of Mr Rautenbach’s Zimbabwe Bio Energy (ZBE).

ZBE is involved in crocodile rearing, cattle ranching and wildlife operations at Nuanetsi.

Tempers have been boiling at Chingwizi where Tugwi-Mukosi families are unhappy with Mr Rautenbach, with access to water at the centre of the parties’ tiff.

The families recently told the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Cde Ezra Chadzamira, that Mr Rautenbach was forcing them to draw water from nearby canals that irrigate sugar cane at Mpapa estates.

They appealed to him to intervene.

Cde Chadzamira urged Mr Rautenbach to co-exist peacefully with Chingwizi families.

“My strong advice to you the people of Chingwizi is that you must first seek dialogue with Mr Rautenbach so that you can share the available resources, especially water,” he said.

“We want to assure you that you have our full backing as Government to have access to clean water.”

Mr Chadzamira urged Mr Rautenbach to take a leaf from other commercial farmers by undertaking social responsibility programmes that help the local community.

“It is very disturbing to note that families here have livestock which has no access to grazing pastures because grazing lands have been fenced off,” he said.

Cde Chadzamira was told that school children in the area were being forced to walk several kilometres to and from school after the access road was blocked by a fence.