Nkosentsha Khumalo
ILLEGAL Settlers purportedly linked to the ruling party Zanu- PF are locked in a bitter struggle with Ward 2A Villagers of Insuza, Matabeleland North province over illegal land invasion.
The situation has become a growing pattern of intimidation and coercion as there are unknown settlers reportedly erecting their homes on lands that rightfully belong to the locals. The land grabbers disregard property lines and brazenly claim ownership through their alleged ties to Zanu- PF.
Emboldened by their purported political backing, the illegal settlers are allegedly encroaching on the villagers’ farms as well, leaving the locals terrified and powerless in the face of this escalating threat.
The situation has reached a breaking point, with the settlers’ continued encroachment, inciting a collective rage among the locals. The latest target of this land grab is said to be a 92-year-old Silimo Ndlovu, whose farm is alleged to have been seized by the settlers in a show of raw, arrogant power.
This act of aggression, coupled with the settlers’ dubious claims of being War Veterans, has ignited a fierce resistance among the villagers who are now banding together to defend their lands and livelihoods from this relentless assault.
For Ndlovu, the 92-year-old farmer whose land was seized by the settlers, the experience has been nothing short of devastation as he has been left struggling to come to terms with this violent seizure of his property.
Ndlovu’s helplessness in the face of the settlers’ onslaught is echoed by many of his fellow villagers, who are beginning to feel the weight of this unprecedented development on their lands.
“Ngithe ngiyabuza kwathiwa umhlabathi lwana wathathwa ngu Sobhuku. Sengibonile ukuthi vele sengthathele. Kumele ukuthi atshiye indawo yami ngoba ngeyami akusoyakhe. Mina ngifike lapha ngo 1981 njalo besengilimile lasemasimini ami. Ngizwa nje impilo yami sisengozini.” which can be loosely translated to say,
When I questioned the reason for the seizure of my field, I was informed that the village head had commandeered the land. I demand that the village head return my field immediately as it is rightfully mine, not his. I occupied this land in 1981 and I had already planted my crops in the field, and now my livelihood is in jeopardy due to this unlawful act, ” stressed Ndlovu
Thembinkosi Ndlovu, the son of the 92-year-old farmer Silimo Ndlovu, is now reported to be on the run for his life. According to eyewitnesses, the settlers have made it clear that they will stop at nothing to silence any opposition to their occupation.
Thembinkosi has seemingly become their latest target for assassination.
“Kubuhlungu ngoba nxa uBaba ethathelwa insimi yakhe ephila?.. Ubeyilima izakhamuzi zikhangele. Ngiyacela ukuthi izakhamuzi zincedise ngoba ubaba ufike kulendawo eseselijaha laye eqinile njengami.”
“It is heartbreaking to see my father’s land taken away from him while he is still alive. He cultivated this field while the villagers bore witness, and now he is being dispossessed. We are imploring the villagers to assist us in this matter, as my father came here when he was still a young and strong man, ” pleaded Ndlovu’s son.
According to Thokozile Ncube, the neighbour of Silimo Ndlovu, the settlers are scouring the area with bloodlust in their eyes, intent on exacting revenge on Thembinkosi Ndlovu.
“Bebedinga umntaka Ndlovu ngabatshela ngathi uhambile. Bath!!! Umtshele ukuthi asifuni lakumbona esithi tshazi kuleyondawo. Bebesithi leyondawo bayiphiwa ngumthetho bona bengama War Vets.
” Ukhulu uNdlovu wahamba emapholiseni, bafika bamuthi abuyele ku Sobhuku ngoba kuyindaba okumele iphathwe ngu Sobhuku.”
” The settlers arrived in our village, demanding that we relay a message to Ndlovu’s son saying that they don’t want him stepping foot on the fields they have seized. They professed to be War Veterans, asserting that this status conferred them the right to occupy the land.
” Ndlovu even went to the police seeking answers, but he was dismissed and directed to address the matter with the village head ,” recounted Ncube.
Gogo MaNcube, a victim of the encroachment crisis, recounted her own experience with a Zanu-PF member who tried to seize her land.
“Sithwele nzima lapha e Insuza sithe sifika beku ryte. Uthola sokulomuntu ofakiweyo lapha awumazi uvuka ekhona. Ungathi uyambuza umuntu uyakutshela ukuthi ‘ngiphiwe ngomunye uzanyamala’!!. Mina vele sengilindele ukufa ngoba angifuni kuzithola ku crossfire.
” Life has become perilous in Insuza,” lamented Gogo MaNcube. “We wake up to discover that our neighbourhood has been infiltrated by unfamiliar faces who claim to have been ‘given’ land by someone else.
” When we try to question their right to be there, they swiftly dismiss us and threaten to unleash violence. The fear of being caught in a crossfire between the settlers and the villagers is palpable. I am prepared to give my life to defend what is rightfully mine, for I cannot stand idly by as my home is plundered before my eyes .”
Melody Sibanda, who is accused of having allocated himself land said,” Angilamazwi amanengi, ngingumntwana lingangihambeli phambili kwezinye izinto kodwa khonokho okukhulunywa yizakhamizi yikho okwenzakalayo.
“I am just a young man and I don’t have much to weigh in on these issues. Nevertheless, I must acknowledge that the concerns of the villagers are valid. What they are saying is true .”
Amidst the accusations of land seizures by Zanu Pf-affiliated settlers, a local party leader identified only as Moyo has denied any involvement in the distribution of land.
“I was entrusted with the task of ensuring the well-being and proper settlement of the people here,” said Moyo, recounting his instructions from the local party leader, Mthimkhulu.
“However, while I was away receiving medical treatment for my eye condition, I was shocked to return and discover that people had been allocated land in my absence. I had no hand in this allocation, and I am not responsible for the actions of these so-called War Veterans. It seems to me that the village head has his own agenda with these individuals.”
Adding a twist to the already complex saga unfolding in Insuza, Village Head Lutha Tshuma disclosed a disturbing development that Zanu Pf members and settlers have anointed their own village head, who is acting as their spokesperson and representative.
“The settlers have made it abundantly clear that they are beholden only to the interests of Zanu Pf,” explained Village Head Tshuma.
“They claim that they are beyond reproach, not subject to the same rules and laws that govern the rest of us. Our attempts to negotiate with them have been futile, and they have proceeded to seize our fields and block off our roads, effectively treating us like second-class citizens in our own land. We find ourselves pleading for basic rights and respect from these intruders who act as though they own the land.”
The alleged village head installed by the settlers, Thomas Pedzi, and Walter Ncube, a self-proclaimed War Veteran implicated in the land seizures, remained evasive and non-responsive when approached for comment on the matter.
Speaking out against the encroachment crisis that has roiled Ward 2A in Insuza, Councillor Moyo drew attention to the apparent impunity enjoyed by Zanu Pf members in the area.
“The Zanu Pf members are openly selling land for whatever price they deem fit, acting as if the law doesn’t apply to them. Even the police are complicit in this corrupt system, with several officers receiving land allocations that defy logic and legality. I tried to raise the alarm with the District Administrator (DA), but my pleas fell on deaf ears.”
The ruling Zanu- PF party has been implicated in land barons illegal activities in the past and every time, the party denies any involvement. Claiming the perpetrators are nothing but name- droppers. And tensions are running high in the rural community as unprocedural settlement development continues to escalate, with villagers increasingly alarmed by the blatant disregard for their property rights and are desperate to protect their land, and livelihoods from this mounting threat.
Zim GBC News ©2024