A villager evacuated from Mushandik village 15B under the current government-run operation “No to Illegal Settlers” had to sell his Mazda B16 for US$200 in order to support his family who had to find housing elsewhere.
This information was today conveyed to a team of former CCC president Nelson Chamisa who was visiting displaced families in Muchandike near Buka about 20 kilometers from Masvingo. One of the more than 200 evacuees in Mushandek village 15B in Masvingo sold his Mazda B16 for $200 to feed his displaced family and pay rents in a nearby village. Some villagers settled in the area in the 1980s.
John Cherry, one of the victims, preferred not to reveal the name of his neighbor when he told horrific stories about displaced families during a visit by the opposition group led by Nelson Chamisa, which is today called the “Blue Movement”.
The delegation that visited the area in solidarity with the victims was led by Amos Chibaya, Gift “Austalos” Sisiba and Prince Dubiko Sibanda. They were accompanied by several other cadres of the Blue Movement from various provinces.
According to Sheri, victims of land evictions and demolitions are now facing extreme hunger after selling their livestock for as little as one dollar. Most of them allegedly bought the plots of land from aides to President Charumbira and President Berry.
“Most people have turned into beggars as they hastily sold their livestock to beat the seven-day deadline. My neighbor sold his car for $200, while others sold their chickens for $1 and their goats for $10. They are now tenants in nearby villages and pay rents of up to $50.” .
“We stayed for a while to finish our projects. We have pigs and fisheries here. This is the breeding time for fish and pigs, so we can’t move them,” Cherry said.
Shibaya said that the visit was merely a solidarity visit to sympathize with them. “As a movement, we sympathize with everyone affected by arbitrary evictions and demolitions. We stand with you in these difficult times,” Chibaya said. Masvingo Mirror
