Mataga, villagers end 23-year dispute
MATAGA Growth Point in Mberengwa is finally set to undergo expansion after villagers and the local authority settled their 23-year-old dispute which had seen the Gorongwe community resisting relocation to pave way for the growth of the urban settlement.
The Gorongwe community initially refused to be relocated by claiming that they were settled on their ancestral land.
It had to take the intervention of the Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation to break the impasse.
Mberengwa Rural District Council (RDC) chief executive officer Mr Julius Mashavakure said the disputed area was earmarked for the development of over 700 housing stands under Mataga Growth Point.
He said there were plans to push for Mataga to be conferred town status if it continued to grow.
“It took 23 years of a bitter struggle between council and villagers as they were resisting moving,” said Mr Mashavakure. “We tried everything, but they were refusing to be relocated.’’
“We even tried to use the laws of the land, but they were digging in. The villagers were arguing that they could not let bulldozers destroy the graves of their ancestors, but I am happy we finally reached an agreement.”
Mr Mashavakure said some of the affected villagers would be incorporated into the nearby Chomakudo and Chipedza irrigation schemes.
“The villagers’ homes will not be affected and they will remain where they are, but they will lose their agricultural land because that land will be consumed by the growth point’s expansion,’’ he said.
Mr Mashavakure said Mberengwa wanted Mataga to morph into a modern urban settlement.
“We will make sure that everything is put in place,” he said. “We want ZINWA to supply water to this area and definitely resources are needed, but part of the resources will be coming from the developers themselves.”
District Administrator for Mberengwa Mr Stewart Chiwanga said it was positive development for villagers and council to reach a deal over Mataga expansion.
“The negotiations ended well and we are now going to witness the dawn of a new era,” he said. “Now, there will be development in this district.”