Fight over land #zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Standard
A storm is brewing at Corrongemite Farm,
Totonga district in Shurugwi, where villagers are
up in arms with a new farmer whom they are
accusing of grabbing large tracts of land at the
expense of other villagers.
The villagers told Standardcommunity last week
that former health manager for Zimasco
Shurugwi, Farai Marikano, was allegedly grabbing
more land despite already occupying more than
500 hectares from his initial offer letter.
"Marikano came in 2005 with an offer letter of
over 500 hectares of the farm which was
previously owned by a white commercial farmer
John Anderson but now he is claiming another
200 hectares," said Lovemore Maketo, a Zanu PF
youth advisor for the ward.
Maketo said most of the villagers had settled on
the farm since 2000 and amicably co-existed with
Anderson.
"When he [Marikano] came he found villagers
already settled here and he has since been trying
to evict us and Anderson. We are not disputing
the government process of properly resettling
people but we implore them to consider us," he
said.
Marikano is said to have brought another offer
letter which allowed him to occupy a further 200
hectares which included a dip tank and other
infrastructure which the other villagers were
using.
"How can one person have over 700 hectares
when others have none. We have more than 1
000 youths here who also need to make a decent
living. The government should look into our
plight seriously," said Maketo.
Another villager who spoke on condition of
anonymity said Marikano had failed to co-exist
with the villagers and sought to evict them from
the only place they called home.
However, Marikano accused the villagers of
misrepresenting facts insisting that his papers
were in order.
Marikano said in 2005 he got his offer letter for
500 hectares of Corrongemite Farm under the A2
scheme but there were some villagers who were
occupying part of the land.
"I did not immediately try to effect an eviction
because it was during the rainy season and I felt
for them. I tried to co-exist with them and the
only conditions I set for them were that they
should not hunt or cut down trees," he said.
Marikano said this year the government assured
him that it would seek alternative land for the
affected villagers after the elections.
"The issue is out of my hands, the responsible
authorities promised that after elections they
would tackle the eviction," he said.