Farm and conservancy both under threat by land invaders

Farm and conservancy both under threat by land invaders

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
23 July 2012

Two properties in Zimbabwe are facing a take over threat by land invaders, 
as concern continues to rise about the future of property rights in the 
country.

Ruware Ranch, in the Chiredzi River Conservancy, was invaded last Friday by 
a group of people armed with axes, who started clearing the land that was 
allegedly demarcated by the Land Ministry in January. The invasion comes a 
month after hundreds of ZANU PF supporters, accompanied by Lands Ministry 
officials, invaded the property and insisted it was promised to them 12 
years ago.

The invasion leaves thousands of animals at risk with 26 different species 
inhabiting the property. Already wildlife in the Chiredzi River Conservancy 
has been targeted by human encroachers on the land, due to the onslaught of 
illegal settlers who have been invading other parts of the Conservancy. They 
have been attempting to clear the land for crops, resulting in widespread 
destruction and hundreds of thousands of animals being killed.

The destruction has also been raised as a key point of concern in 
parliament, with warnings about how these ongoing invasions were set to 
affect Zimbabwe’s remaining protected areas. A report by a Parliamentary 
Committee on Natural Resources earlier this year identified top military and 
ZANU PF figures as the individuals behind the invasion of conservancies.

But no attention has been paid to these warnings and land continues to be 
seized.

The invasion at Ruware also comes as Matabeleland South farmer Dudley Rogers 
has been threatened with eviction, allegedly for allowing an MDC rally to 
take place near his property.

According to the Daily News newspaper the MDC-T’s Matabeleland

South provincial chairperson, Watchy Sibanda, said two former police 
officers
wanted to take over Rodgers’ farm.

“We had our provincial rally about a month ago at an open space adjacent to
Rodgers’ Olympus farm and since then all has not been well there. Two former
police officers, Muhoni and Gono, have already visited the farm several 
times
claiming they are new owners. They also claim to have offer letters from the
ministry of lands but we wonder if those letters are genuine,” said Sibanda.

“We know ZANU PF is behind all this because they have been accusing Rodgers
of sponsoring our party,” said Sibanda.