Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Statement by ZANU PF acting Secretary-General Patrick Chinamasa on Unlawful Land Occupations and the Illegal Activities of Land Barons:
ZANU PF Statement on Unlawful Land Occupations and the Illegal Activities of Land Barons
1. ZANU PF is alarmed at the mushrooming and proliferation of illegal occupations and settlements on Communal, Local Authority and State land in and around major towns and cities, Rural Service Centres and Growth Points and perpetrated by Land Barons some of which are masquerading as ZANU PF supporters and through use of name dropping falsely suggest that their illegal activities have the authority and blessings of ZANU PF. Yet other Land Barons are using doctored and falsified documents as one of the strategies to mislead innocent Stands buyers to part with their hard-earned cash.
2. These illegal activities of Land Barons are currently very prevalent in Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East and Manicaland Provinces.
MASHONALAND WESTv
3. In Mashonaland West province Land Barons are illegally parcelling out land on Lot 4 Somerby farm, fronting the Harare – Bulawayo Highway formerly owned by West Stone Hurst (Pvt) Ltd and measuring 102 hectares. Illegal settlements on Lot 4 Somerby farm, not only are they illegal but have given rise to violent clashes causing injuries to six persons namely Timothy Kuguyo, Monalisa Kuguyo, Medial Kuguyo, Kevin Gemu, Agnes Bhero and Otilia Gemu.
4. Also in Mashonaland West Province the following further farms are also being affected by illegal occupation and settlements; Penrose farm (143 ha), Lilfordia (660 ha), Haydon (744.57) Rainham (1200 ha) and Spitzkop (477 ha)
5. On Haydon Farm 4.1 ha of open spaces earmarked for a school and a hotel have been illegally occupied.
MASHONALAND EAST PROVINCE
6. In Mashonaland East Province, Land Barons are illegally selling residential stands on Resettlement Farms and the affected farms include, in Seke District under Manyame Rural District Council Longlands Farms, Kimcote Farm, Mnandi Farm which belongs to the late Cde Amos Midzi and Ealing farm which belongs to the late Colonel Katuka. Also badly affected by the prevailing wave of illegal occupations are villages outside Chitungwiza and most Rural Service Centres in Seke District, in particular, the Dema area has not been spared from the illegal land occupations.
7. Under The Goromonzi Rural Council area illegal settlements have been taking place at Proton Farm, Caledonia Farm and villages in the Domboshava and Chishawasha. In Caledonia, Land Barons are selling out land randomly and occupying spaces reserved for schools and clinics. Worse in the Goromonzi area is the fact that individual villagers and village heads have joined Land Barons in selling their land to prospective land buyers in rural areas like Chinhamhora and Chishawasha area.
MANICALAND PROVINCE
8. In Manicaland Province the ZANU PF Mutare DCC Chairman Yard Binali and some of the Mutare DCC members Brian Marange, Tawanda Ndawe, Webster Mudzimwa and Trust Matima are at the centre of the illegal distribution and occupations of land in the Gimboki area.
9. Also in Manicaland Province illegal parcelling out of land by unknown Land Barons has been reported to be taking place along Rusape River which provides water to Rusape town, but luckily the Law Enforcements Agents Police, Army and President’s Office have timeously intervened to stop the illegal resettlements.
10. In all illegal land occupation and parcelling out of stands the pegging of the stands is done using rudimentary methods measuring the perimeter of the stands using “nhano”.
ZANU PF POLICY ON ILLEGAL LAND SETTLEMENTS AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES OF LAND BARONS
ZANU PF wishes it to be known that on illegal occupations, illegal sale illegal parcelling out of stands and any illegal land developments on Communal, Local Authority, State and Privately owned Land its Policy is as stated below:
a) ZANU PF condemns without reservation the illegal settlements occupations, parcelling out and sale, of the aforementioned land without the permission of the relevant authority
b) ZANU PF’s policy is for planned urban settlements and this can only be done by relevant Local and Central Government Authorities.
c) ZANU PF has never granted authority to any of its general membership including persons who hold leadership positions at any level in the structures of the Party to participate in illegal occupations and land distributions whether as Buyers or Land Barons.
d) ZANU PF calls upon Law Enforcement Agencies to enforce the law without fear or favour.
e) ZANU PF wishes it to be known loud and clear that there is no land which should be considered to have no administering authority. Communal land is administered under the Communal Lands Act and is vested in the President of the Republic. State Land is also vested in the President and administered variously under the Ministries of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Water and Local Government and Public Works. Other land fall under the jurisdiction of Local Authority Councils. Finally, there is land which falls under private ownership. Therefore any occupation or settlement or development of any land requires the lawful, authorization of the relevant Planning Authority which has jurisdiction over such land.
f) Unplanned settlements are a recipe for future disaster and a Town Planner’s nightmare as they come without the necessary infrastructure such as water, sewerage, roads and electricity and invariably without land set aside for social amenities such as schools, hospitals, clinics, sporting facilities and business centres. It costs more in terms of resources to take corrective measures over illegally settled land.
g) ZANU PF Manicaland Province has already taken disciplinary action against the Mutare DCC Chairman Mr Binali and a number of his DCC colleagues, namely Brian Marange, Tawanda Ndawe, Webster Mudzimwa and Trust Matima. ZANU PF will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against any of its members reported to be participating in illegal Land Occupations and distribution whether as Buyers or Land Barons.
h) Finally ZANU PF demands that all illegal land occupations, illegal sale or parcelling out of land or stands and illegal land developments should stop forthwith and calls upon Law Enforcement Agencies to enforce the law and bring any perpetrators to book.
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