Council blames politics for land dispute
MUTARE City Council Town Clerk Mr Joshua Maligwa has blamed political interference for the delays in the conclusion of the conflict between the authority and more than 760 members of the Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation, who allegedly settled themselves illegally in Dangamvura.
Council has been involved in legal battles with the families for years in a bid to evict them from the Dangamvura Federation stands that they had occupied illegally.
The residents reportedly settled on land earmarked for industrial purposes and allocated each other stands without council approval, before building houses and makeshift homes.
Mutare City is in possession of a High Court order authorising the forcible removal of the residents if they do not vacate the area voluntarily by December 31.
Speaking at an emotionally charged meeting with Minister of State for Manicaland Province Senator Monica Mutsvangwa in Mutare last week, Mr Maligwa said he had been threatened by some politicians after he tried to take the issue of the federation settlers up with the Minister of Local Government.
“When I came into office, I held meetings with members of the Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation to hear their grievances and come up with solutions to these issues,” he said.
“But when I tried to take the issue up with relevant authorities, I was told to keep my hands off that issue.”
“They asked me why I wanted to meddle in issues that did not concern me. So, I told these women that l could no longer help them as I had been instructed to back off.”
Mr Maligwa said he would furnish Minister Mutsvangwa’s office with a detailed report so that she could assess how the matter was handled and how far the council had gone.
The town clerk expressed confidence that the minister would be able to settle the dispute once and for all.
Minister Mutsvangwa promised to investigate the matter and see how best it could be solved.
“I promise you all that this matter will be investigated thoroughly without fear or favour and we will make sure that justice prevails,” she said.
“We will not be threatened into leaving such issues that affect the livelihoods of people hanging.”
The members of the federation have expressed willingness to vacate the land they are currently occupying if council allocated them alternative stands for them to build their homes.
Most of them said they only invaded the industrial stands in Dangamvura as a way of forcing council to act on their grievances.