Villagers protest against council

SHURUGWI villagers on Monday staged a demonstration at Tongogara Rural District Council offices against a decision to evict them and pave way for the expansion of Chachacha Growth Point.

The RDC has earmarked the land in Marira area for the expansion Chachacha Growth Point.

Marira villagers argue they are the rightful owners of the land, which they bought from headman Mr Billiat Marira.

Shurugwi RDC chief executive officer Mr Brain Rufasha confirmed villagers had demonstrated.

“I can confirm that a number of villagers staged a demonstration at our offices on Monday against council decision to earmark the land they are currently occupying for the expansion of Chachacha Growth Point,” he said.

Mr Rufasha said the protest was null and void since the land in question was council land.

He said council gave the villagers eviction notices.

“Those villagers were warned two years ago to regularise their stay as the area is now part of Chachacha Growth Point where urban housing stands will be issued out. These people were also given first priority to buy the stands of which they are refusing. We also went on to issue a notice which was published in The Herald of March 19 and advised them to vacate the land or risk eviction and we are not going back,” he said.

Mr Rufasha said council had applied to the Ministry of Lands and Land Resettlement for permission use the land in question for the expansion of Chachacha Growth Point. The application was approved. “As council we took the right procedures and applied for this land from the Ministry of Lands and Land Resettlement and we alerted these people of our expansion drive of which they were supposed to be the first people to embrace this development initiative and buy the stands on offer,” he said.

Mr Rufasha said headman Marira had no right to sell the land.