Dispute stalls million-dollar project

Tendai Chara

A protracted boundary dispute involving three villages has stalled the setting up of a multimillion-dollar project in Mount Darwin, The Sunday Mail Society has gathered.

At the centre of the feud is a piece of land which is on the boundaries of the Kutsonga, Njenge and Nyamupfukudza Villages in Mashonaland Central province.

The land had been earmarked for the construction of a vocational training college and a clinic. As a result of the wrangling, no progress has been made thus far.

Some of the villagers, reportedly from Kutsonga, harassed construction workers, who had to flee for dear life.

The donor agency which was implementing the project had already constructed a classroom block and had also sunk a solar-powered borehole. Water tanks and functional water taps are also part of the developments at the site.

While eight villages, among them Gaba, Mupesa, Njenge and Chigogo, are supportive of the project, Kutsonga villagers, who are being led by their vocal headman Roiki Tauro Kutsonga, are openly against the initiative. The villagers are claiming that the piece of land on which the vocational centre is being built was grazing land.

When The Sunday Mail Society visited Mount Darwin recently, a livid Kutsonga swore the development will not see the light of day.

“This land was reserved for our pastures and we cannot allow it to be used for other purposes. We would rather give it to our children than to have it turned into a college,” a fuming Kutsonga said.

Rattiralph Mukombwe, the Pfura Rural District Council councillor for Ward 36, under whose jurisdiction the contested land is located, chronicled how the dispute began.

“A donor approached council with the proposal to set a vocational college at this site and eight village heads, among them village head Kutsonga, were called for a meeting. Roiki Tauro, the Kutsonga headman, raised an objection but he later on consented to the project,” Councillor Mukombwe said.

“After the meeting, a full council meeting was convened, where the donor presented his proposal. All the councillors unanimously voted for the project.”

According to Clr Mukombwe, the locals were taken aback when village head Kutsonga and some of his subjects confronted construction workers who were in the process of building a classroom block.

“It took the intervention of Chief Nohwedza, council officials, the District Administrator, police and Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement officials for work to resume,” added Clr Mukombwe.

Peter Chigombe of Nyamupfukudza Village, whose homestead is close to the disputed area, gave a historical perspective to the feud.

“I have been living in this area since 1982 and the land that is being claimed by Tauro has always been grazing land. What we know is that during the colonial regime, some villagers who were living at this place were resettled elsewhere. As far as we all know, this area was reserved for pastures. Kutsonga villagers only started claiming ownership of this land after it was agreed by eight villages that a college will be constructed in this area.”

George Mhondorohuma, from the adjacent Njenge Village, corroborated both Councillor Mukombwe and Chigombe’s assertions.

“This is an open secret. This area has been reserved for grazing and we were all shocked to hear that Tauro is claiming ownership. I do not know the motive behind this,” Mhondorohuma explained.

Chief Nohwedza, born Fodder Warambwa, said the dispute over this piece of land was settled “a long time ago”.

“I am even surprised why the donor has not finished the project. Headman Kutsonga had raised objections claiming the land but we all know that this area was, and has always been, a grazing area,” Chief Nohwedza said.

The House of Assembly member for the area, Barnwell Seremwe, said “petty fights” should not be allowed to stall development.

“As the local Member of Parliament, the setting up of the college is one of my priorities. At a time when other areas are crying over lack of developmental projects, we cannot be seen to be chasing away charitable organisations,” Seremwe said.

Mrs Nyembesi Mhondoro, an official from the organisation that has pledged to carry out the construction work, vowed to carry on despite the threats.

“This project was approved by council and the community. We cannot abandon the project simply because an individual or a family is against it. We are going to commence work on the project once the lockdown has been lifted,” she said.