Villagers plead with VP Mphoko on land
VILLAGERS in Tshayile in Bubi District, Matabeleland North are crying foul over plans to evict them from their homesteads to pave way for Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko who has allegedly annexed part of a farm where the villagers have been settled for the past 15 years.
Vice-President Mphoko is alleged to have annexed about 300 hectares of Shilloh Farm which is adjacent to his Mdlawuzo farm, in the neighbouring Umguza District. VP Mphoko’s farm lies on the border of Umguza and Bubi districts and he is allegedly expanding his property into Shiloh Farm which is in Bubi.
The Vice-President’s manoeuvres have irked Ward 10 Tshayile villagers at Shilloh Farm who now face eviction. Some villagers who spoke to Sunday News yesterday expressed their displeasure at the latest developments. About 10 households face eviction, should the VP continue with his expansion.
The villagers are also set to lose Tshayile Primary School, which they helped to build, a borehole situated in the school premises which is their only source of water, pastures for their livestock and farming fields, which will become part of the VP’s property.
VP Mphoko is alleged to have sent a text message to Tshayile village head, Mr Aaron Mlalazi at the beginning of this month, notifying him of his plans and that villagers settled within the areas earmarked for expansion should vacate.
In the alleged text message, seen by Sunday News from a villager’s mobile phone, the VP claimed that he had applied for the expansion of his farm into Shiloh in 1992, and the application was approved this year. The villagers allege a day after the VP sent the text message his workers started pegging the new boundaries and threatened to arrest anyone who would attempt to stop them.
Reads the alleged text message, “Ngifisa ukwazisa ukuthi iconsolidation yeMdlawuzo Farm to be 2 000 hectares engayicela ngo1992 isiphumile. Ngiyakhumbula ngilitshela ngakho lisanda kufika esigabeni. I remember talking to you ngisithi lingahlali phansi kwentaba uMdlawuzo ngoba ngilindele impendulo from Government, leyo mpendulo isifikile. Ngithemba akusoze kube lenkinga. Yimi uVP Mphoko”.
Mr Mlalazi was not available for comment, as he was said to have travelled when Sunday News visited his homestead.
The villagers said the village head, at the instigation of other villagers, replied the text message and told VP Mphoko that the villagers were against his move. One of the affected villagers, Mr Vusa Ncube said they had nowhere else to go after settling at the farm in 2001.
“This is what I call home. These houses, the fields and my cattle are all I have. Where will I go if I leave this place? Even if I find another place to settle, where will I find money to build other houses?,” he said.
Mr Ncube pleaded with VP Mphoko to consider their plight.
“I have three children, two of which learn at the primary school. The last born is just a week old,” he said.
Another villager who only identified himself as SaMaNdlo, said: “We want him to address us and tell us face to face his plans and we too can express our grievances,” he said.
The villagers said they have a meeting today at the village head’s homestead where the matter will be discussed further.
VP Mphoko could not be reached for comment before going for print. However, Cde Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga the Minister of State in his office last night said she was not aware of the matter.
“I can’t comment on that. I can’t comment on something I don’t know anything about,” she said.
In addition, Chief Mtshana Khumalo, under whose jurisdiction Shiloh Farm lies, said he was yet to receive an official report on the matter but confirmed having heard about the dispute.
“I’ve not heard anything officially about that matter. I’ve only heard people talking about it but no official communication has been made to me. I would want to believe the District Administrator has more details,” he said. Bubi Acting District Administrator, Mr Tapiwa Zivovoyi was not immediately available for comment.