The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
MORE than 100 villagers from Gokwe under Chief Njelele were left homeless after they were evicted by Gokwe Rural District Council, Sunday News has learnt. The families were first served with eviction notices by the council and were later evicted from their communal farms which the local authority says wanted to turn into commercial plots for horticulture.
The villagers are now stranded and have appealed to Chief Njelele to engage council so that they could be incorporated into the project after earlier efforts to engage the local authority proved futile.
Chief Njelele confirmed that he was approached by a number of villagers who were evicted by council saying they were perennial horticultural farmers and they wanted to be incorporated into the project since they were not being compensated.
“I have been approached by villagers in my area who said they had been evicted by the Gokwe Rural District Council. What they want is that they be part of whatever the local authority wants to do with their area. These people have not been compensated therefore it would be prudent to also make them part of the project. These communal farmers have survived by growing potatoes throughout the year since way before independence. This will affect the popular Bomba area where most people sell vegetables and other farm produce like sweet potatoes, tomatoes and small grain crops,” he said.
Chief Njelele said he was in the process of engaging Gokwe RDC. Gokwe RDC chief executive officer Mr Silas Velani said that they had acquired the land along the Gokwe-Kwekwe Road for the development of a residential area contrary to allegations that they wanted to develop the land into commercial stands.
“That land in question has been earmarked for a housing project. I have no doubt that there are people that will be affected. However, they are not going to leave empty handed. We also want them to benefit from the housing project,” he said.
