Villagers threaten to forcibly evict contractor

VILLAGERS in Nkenyani area in Bubi have threatened to use force to compel a businessman to stop construction of a private school in their area who has continued to defy calls by Chief Mtshane Khumalo to move to a new site.

Tensions reached fever levels on Friday when workers of Mr Thabani Moyo (developer) and the villagers exchanged harsh words after the villagers stormed the construction site questioning why work was going on even after Chief Mtshane and the police had instructed that nothing should be done before the matter has been concluded.

The workers, however, continued to work but villagers threatened to cut the fence and remove the concrete which was being laid, if construction is not halted by this week.

The villagers are against the project and have written a petition signed by 43 of them to the local and political leadership stating why they are against the project.

In the petition, the villagers said the project would reduce their agricultural land both for cropping and grazing and might even result in some homesteads being displaced.

They also said the school, being privately owned will not be affordable to the locals, so its existence would be non-beneficial considering that locals have been failing to pay fees at Government schools.

What has irked the villagers more is that the local headman, Mr Phineas Sithole was failing to evict the contractor even after Chief Mtshane’s order to do so.

At a meeting held a few weeks ago, Chief Mtshane said since the villagers were not happy with the project, it must be stopped and the contractor be allocated alternative land which was not under dispute.

“There is a school that is being built by a private enterprise in Ward 14, the villagers are opposing that and want the school to move to a new site. So since they are not happy there is little we can do so I proposed that we move the school to a different site and there are other wards that actually want the school so there is no problem still,” Chief Mtshane told Sunday News.

However, the land developer is said to be arguing that he would go ahead with the construction as he was allocated the land by council.

However, Bubi Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Patson Mlilo said villagers were not experts in land allocation.

“If you agree to having a school constructed it does not mean that you are now an expert in physical planning. There were two sites proposed for the school but upon visiting them, we discovered that the other one was very rocky and small for the construction of a big thing like a school so they opted for the current site.

“Education officers, lands officials, the council engineer, local leadership and those from the Department of Physical Planning all visited the place and approved this,” he said. Bubi Land Committee vice-chairperson Mr Douglas Khoza said corruption in land issues was not acceptable as Government is the only authority that has the right resettle people.

“Corruption is bad; the Government is the only one who should resettle people looking at the capacity of the farms. They try to balance human and animal life in the area. We cannot have people being resettled twice, Government policy should not be disturbed at all. Lands officers are engaging in corruption, people get land based on friendships, power and money which is not acceptable,” said Mr Khoza.

He said once the villagers have spoken over an issue like this, it was only fair that their concerns are listened to.

Chief Khumalo added that outsiders from other villagers should not force development in areas without taking proper procedure.