Shangaan Speakers Invade Sugar Cane Farms In Tribal War
Roy Chikara Masvingo, September 19, 2012 – Over a thousand Shangani
speakers, believed to be Zanu (PF) supporters from Chief Tsvovani in
Chiredzi, have invaded Sugar Cane producers, Triangle limited plantations.
They are accusing the party of sidelining them during the chaotic land grabs
that started 12 years ago in favour of the Karanga speaking people who have
been given land.
The irate villagers together with their children, who occupied the giant
sugar cane mill’s farms in section six and four over the weekend, have vowed
not to move out.
“We have been neglected and overlooked by our party for a long time may be
because of our minority tribe,” a settler who only identified himself as
Hlekani told a Radio VOP reporter who visited the area on Wednesday.
“Since 2000 less than 10 Shangans benefited from the land redistribution,”
he said.
“Land was distributed to the Karangas who are the majority in the province
and they came from other districts. We have therefore decided to take our
stake and we are not going anywhere,” he said.
The latest development is coming barely a week after some of the villagers
from the same area invaded two farms occupied by fellow former ruling party
supporters of the Karanga tribe.
Triangle Limited, Managing Director, Sydney Mutsambiwa, said his
organisation will find solutions.
“We have received such reports and we are running around …We will try to
find a solution,” he said.
The invasion could disrupt the smooth flow of business at the enormous sugar
plant that had been enjoying a sharp upsurge of production over the past
years since the formation of the shaky inclusive government that has brought
some stability to the economy.
In 2008, he said production had sunk below a production level of 320 000
tones but this year there were looking at getting over 400 000 tones and
improve their export to the European Union (EU).
The new settlers also accused Zanu (PF) leadership of being greedy by
recently grabbing Save Valley Conservancies when they had nothing, a
situation that triggered the new wave of invasions.
The new settlers accused the local Governor, Titus Maluleke, of neglecting
them despite being at the helm of the provincial political power.
Maluleke, a Shangaan, owns two farms. He declined to comment on the matter.