Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. CCC leader Nelson Chamisa has pledged to ensure that people in Chilonga and Chikombedzi in Chiredzi District are not evicted from their ancestral lands if he is voted into office in the upcoming presidential election.
Chamisa was in Chiredzi on Wednesday for a political rally but was blocked by the police from addressing his supporters.
Posting on Twitter, Chamisa said the people of Chilonga and Chikombedzi should be given security of tenure on their ancestral land. He wrote:
I am in Chilonga and Chikombedzi rural. My message is simple; there can be no true independence for everyone without land ownership rights, title deeds and development.
The people of Chilonga need their land. The underdevelopment here is extreme! We will fix this! A New Great Zimbabwe loading. Land and title deeds for everyone.
Last year High Court gave President Emmerson Mnangagwa authority to evict about 12 000 villagers in the Chilonga area to pave the way for a lucerne project by Dendairy.
Livison Chikutu, a village head under Chief Chilonga was arrested for inciting violence at the chief’s homestead in April last year and was later acquitted by a Chiredzi magistrate.
Chikutu’s acquittal came after prosecutors failed to prove that he led a demonstration and incited violence at Chief Chilonga’s homestead against the Chilonga Lucerne project being funded by Dendairy, a Zimbabwean dairy company.
Chikutu was on ZW$5 000 bail since his arrest for allegedly masterminding a protest by the villagers.
The villagers even protested during a visit by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga in 2020.
Shangaan locals have vowed that they will not be moved by any form of government intimidation or interference.
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