Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
VILLAGERS from Lochard farm yesterday got a reprieve from Zanu-PF after they were told that they would not be immediately forced to vacate their farms despite the looming July 31 deadline. This follows a deadline set by the district lands committee which ordered all people who settled on a section of the farm known as Chalet Village over the past 10 years to vacate, leaving only original settlers. Some of the new settlers have built massive houses, fit for an urban setting.

Zanu-PF Central committee member, Cde Patrick Hove told hundreds of villagers yesterday that those who had illegally parcelled out land would be arrested and prosecuted.

“Those that have put a lot of money or invested, certainly something must be done about them.

We can’t look at a homestead being demolished because someone uhleli endaweni engayisiyo, by the way we have several cases of illegal settlers some of whom have actually been authenticated,” Cde Hove said.

“We met as the provincial quota to look at the situation of Ward 22 and we decided that as a party we should stand up because we’ve seen media reports and individual complaints by the villagers that they’re being abused and we decided to come on the ground to see for ourselves what’s really happening.”

Cde Hove said a decision following his group’s findings would be communicated to the provincial leadership.

“We’re yet to make that decision and that decision will be communicated to the provincial leadership and up the ladder but we came here to find out whether those that are being abused are party members or not and if they’re potential voters who need our protection. But the point is, does it really benefit the party or not, we’ve realised that these people belong to Zanu PF and as a party we now need to go back and sit down and come up with our position. We’ve established the position on the ground,” said Cde Hove.

He said the party’s position on the villagers would be made soon. “If there is congestion, our position is certain that even if we say people should be moved, there certainly are people who haven’t built anything, balokungama dumba nje, they lose nothing. They would have to be moved and allocated land elsewhere,” Cde Hove said.

The central committee member told the villagers that those who had illegally parcelled out land would face the full wrath of the law. “There are some people who were swindled by some people who are in authority to acquire land, we’re saying to them if you board a bus without knowing that the driver is unlicensed, it’s not your fault but it’s the driver who is at fault particularly when that bus is involved in an accident.

“What I’m saying is those who used their power to sell land, it’s not the party which will deal with you but the police. You’ve to be arrested and prosecuted,” Cde Hove added.

Recently, the leader of a technical team set up to restore order at the farm, Daniel Mpofu, told The Chronicle that “illegal settlers” had caused massive overcrowding on the property.

He said the farm had a carrying capacity of 1,056 families but 3,866 households were now on the farm.

“There’s a surplus of 2,800 families. It’s not good. This is affecting grazing land and fields,” Mpofu said.

“Original” settlers are those allocated land at the onset of the land reform programme in 2000.

The push to move out people is being led by Chief Jahana, who alleges that most of the resettled villagers bought land from unscrupulous village heads and councillors.

The majority of villagers labelled as illegal settlers started moving onto the property after 2012 when they were given land by the local leadership.

The chief alleges that the new settlers paid varying amounts to be allocated land, ranging from $600 to $1,000 while others parted with beasts. Since moving into the area, the new villagers have spent a fortune developing their properties.