MIDLANDS Provincial Affairs minister Jason Machaya yesterday said government had set up a special taskforce to stop the army from evicting over 200 Shurugwi villagers from Lazy Nine Farm after it emerged that the area had been turned into a military shooting range.
by Stephen Chadenga
“A committee has been set up to look over the issue (of eviction) in question to find an amicable solution. People cannot just be evicted without proper procedures and without them going anywhere,” he said.
The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) last week, gave the families resettled at Lazy Nine Farm until yesterday to vacate the area saying it was reserved for military training. The families were resettled in 1997.
Part of the eviction notice, signed by 5 Infantry Brigade commander only identified as a G Chitsva read: “Please take notice that you are illegally settled in a military protected area, being Lazy Nine Field Firing Range…
Notice is hereby made that the range is used for the conduct of military training exercises involving the use of live ammunition hence extremely unsafe for human habitation, farming and livestock rearing. It is against this background that you are hereby directed to vacate such settlements on or before 20 June 2017.”
ZNA spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Alphios Makotore could not be reached for comment yesterday. Chief Banga, born Lameck Toindepi, confirmed the development and said he was shocked by the notices which were delivered door-to-door by soldiers on horse backs.
The affected villagers are believed to have originally come from Bangalore, Donga, Mushwe and Bera in an area that border Chivi North, Shurugwi and Zvishavane communal areas.
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Recently, tens of villagers near Mpandawana Town in Gutu were evicted and left stranded after the army declared a resettlement area to the west of the town a protected area.
