The Sunday News
Richard Muponde Sunday New Correspondent
NDLOVU villagers just outside Victoria Falls have reportedly received 50 kilogrammes of maize each as compensation for losing their fields which have been allocated as stands for Ndlovu Township.
The situation has reportedly irked the affected villagers mostly from BH9 who could not cultivate their fields this season because they have not been allocated land for farming and rely on food handouts.
Hwange Rural District Council allocated RG Mugabe Housing Union, which has headquarters in the resort town of Victoria Falls, land to develop the area into residential stands.
Ndlovu was reportedly designated as a growth point in 1984 and about 300 stands were allocated to villagers before the project stalled. After being allocated the land two years ago, RG Mugabe Housing Union pegged stands at villagers’ homesteads, kraals and communal fields and has reportedly sold the stands to home seekers.
However, what has irked the villagers is that they have not been allocated any land and have nowhere to farm this rainy season.
Instead, reports say the housing union last month gave the affected villagers 50kg bags of maize as compensation for the fields they lost.
However, the union’s chairman, Mr Michael Mambudzi dispelled the reports, saying the maize was meant to assist villagers until they are allocated land for farming by the local authority.
“The 50kgs are not for compensating for the land. We are just helping them so that they get food since they are not farming. We are going to continue giving them this maize until they are allocated land and harvest. It’s our gesture that they get food,” said Mr Mambudzi.
“As for the issue of land, council and the District Administrator are seized with the matter. You can get the correct information from the local authority. We can’t compensate land with 50kgs of maize. We can’t do that honestly.”
However, a villager who spoke to Sunday News on condition of anonymity said they were angry with the council, housing union and the contractor because they have reneged on their promises.
“What we need is our land which was allocated for stands so that we prepare for farming this season. Do they think we will survive on the 50kg of maize they gave us up to the next season? They have reneged on their promises,” said the villager.
She said council and the housing union said they were working on compensating them with alternative land but nothing has happened up to now.
