More than 500 communal farmers in Mberengwa face a bleak future after the government ordered them off their land.
The farmers occupied Chivhunze farm under Chief Bvute’s jurisdiction in 2009 and paid US$20 to the local authority which issued them with permits under the settlement permits by-laws of 2006.
The concerned farmers have petitioned Mberengwa North Member of Parliament, Tafanana Zhou to air out their grievances. Said Zhou:
The farmers approached me to register their grievances. They hold permits that they were issued with in 2009.
They have been at the farm for close to a decade now. They said they were being told to vacate the farm as they are being classified as illegal settlers.
So we have approached the Government and the party (Zanu-PF) leadership to assist these farmers because in my view they were legally settled and cannot be classified as illegal settlers.
Meanwhile, Zanu-PF Midlands provincial chairperson, Daniel McKenzie Ncube confirmed receiving the report and said that he raised the issue with the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs.
The government, through the Ministry of Lands, has instructed all provinces to evict illegal settlers.