Suspected thieves abandoned their vehicle and dropped identity documents and other valuables after they were caught red-handed uprooting iron poles at a buffer zone funded by the European Union under Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources programme in Hurungwe.
By Nhau Mangirazi
The incident happened near Madzikita in Chief Abel Mbasera Chundu area, about 95km north-west of Karoi along Chewore road.
The project has been on hold due to clashes between villagers and council over the creation of the buffer zone, with locals accusing the rural district council of giving more space to wild animals.
Council, on the other hand, accuses locals of poaching.
Headman Tuckson Chikura confirmed the incident.
“It is true that we recovered looted poles after the suspects fled. We used to tell council officials that not all of us are poachers and we have proved it, as some of the suspects are from Zvimba, among other areas, according to documents left behind. We alerted the police and council officials over the theft and the car was driven to Karoi,” Chikura said in an interview.
Hurungwe council chief executive officer Joram Moyo also confirmed the incident.
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“It is true that some suspects fled after they had uprooted buffer zone poles in Chundu. It is unfortunate that due to the economic crisis, some people are now working against development as we are about to launch a sustainable project to revive some conservancies neglected due to vandalism while animals were driven out due to rampant poaching,” he said.
Chikura is among hundreds of villagers fighting council in court over illegal eviction.
He and other villagers are being represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and they claim their forefathers had been in the area since 1932 and have nowhere to go if evicted.
