KADOMA — The fate of 55 former workers at Sherpton Estates now hangs in balance after the new owners Mufaro Madanire and Charles Muhaga obtained a court order to have them kicked out of the property yesterday.
BLESSED MHLANGA
The farm labourers, some of who claimed to have worked under the late former owners Tiny Rowland and Eddison Zvobgo since 1983, have since petitioned Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson Temba Mliswa to stop the evictions.
They claimed that as former workers, they were entitled to take occupation of 10% of the farm.
“Most of the people were born here and have no other homes known to them if evicted they will be destitute and will have nowhere to go,” said a former worker, adding that about 150 school-going children would be affected while most of the families targeted for eviction had nowhere else to go.
Last Friday, they petitioned Mliswa, Zanu PF Muzvezve MP Peter Harritatos, Lands minister Joseph Made, Zanu PF national commissar Webster Shamu and the President’s Office seeking protection.
Part of the letter reads: “We are not intruders, but former farm workers who were promised our 10% land portion near our compound of which our 10% portion was not given to us. We have clean party campaign records eg our former directors are the late Cde (Eddison) Zvobgo, the late Tiny Rowland during their time we campaigned for Cde (Edna) Madzongwe, Cde (Webster) Shamu, Cde (Paul) Mangwana etc. This guarantees we are party members who are in need of your help.”
The families were served with the eviction order on February 21 this year.
