Chaos rains in Burma Valley

 ONE of the country’s leading banana producing areas – Burma Valley – a few kilometres east of the city of Mutare in Manicaland is practically under siege. As the Zimbabwe ambassador to Tanzania Edzai Chimonyo fights a bitter war to wrestle Fangudu Farm from a foreign-owned company, Matanuska, hundreds of illegal settlers have also invaded the western part of the valley choking one of the sources of water in the area – the
 Nyamakari River.

 The Chimonyo-Matanuska battle to control the rich banana farming entity comes hard on the heels of Harare South Zanu PF legislator Hubert Nyanhongo’s fight to take over part of yet another banana farm in the
 valley.

 The new wave of farm invasions in the Burma Valley area have taken another level as some of the illegal settlers have invaded farms which are already under new black owners who forcibly took over the farms from
 the white owners.

 The new invaders are slowly suffocating the once vibrant farming area right from the mountaintops which border the area into the rich valley.

 Some of the new farmers who took over the farms have reduced the once banana-exporting entities to local entities as most of the farm produce is now destined for Sakubva Musika in Mutare and Mbare Musika in Harare.

 Two farms to the west of the valley which at the height of the chaotic land reform programme were allocated to black farmers have also been taken over by a group of illegal settlers.

 The illegal settlers have vowed to fight eviction to the bitter end.

 Five times the government has razed their homes and offered them alternative land but they have refused to vacate the area.

 Their argument is that the area belongs to their ancestors and therefore it rightfully belongs to them.

 Though the identity of two farmers who hold offer letters to the land could not be immediately established, a source on the Mutare district lands committee office revealed that government had given it to them to protect the ecology that can’t sustain bigger populations.

 The area, the source revealed, could not carry a bigger number of farmers.

 “Yes they are close to the source of Nyamakari River and land was allocated to two farmers only because it cannot hold a bigger number of farmers.

 “But as we speak a group of illegal settlers are now choking the river source.

 “The river is almost dry. The illegal settlers were evicted a number of times but they are coming back and have vowed to stay.

 “They were offered land elsewhere but they have refused to take up the land.

 The situation is disturbing,” the source revealed.

 But one illegal settler who refused to be named had no kind words for senior Zanu PF and government officials who were allocated land in the valley.

 “If you look at this area some of the people who got land legally are not from any of the areas surrounding Burma Valley.

 “If I may ask, where does Nyanhongo come from or where does Chimonyo come from?

 “All I know is that Nyanhongo is from Harare though originally he is from Nyanga.

 “But still Nyanga is far from Burma Valley. They are using their political muscle to get land here because they know the area is rich,” the illegal settler said.

 “All these people are not from Chitakatira, Chigodora, Chisakwe or many areas surrounding Burma Valley.

 “We cannot continue to watch as some people from very far away get land here while we do not.

 “We have not taken the lucrative banana area but just the periphery of Burma Valley, so the government should leave us alone.

 “We are not going anywhere.

 “Chimonyo says he got the offer letter in 2005 or 2006 thereabout but where was Chimonyo for the past years?”

 And as the wrangle continues, some of the illegal settlers have turned to cutting down firewood, as there is a ready market in Mutare.

 Piles of firewood are now a common sight along the Burma Valley road

 And it seems the firewood business is booming against the backdrop of erratic power supply in the country.