Story by Kenias Chivuzhe
Government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to illegal settlers at Gilstone Farm in Seke, Mashonaland East Province, ordering them to vacate the land by next Wednesday or face legal action.
Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, who is also ZANU-PF Mashonaland East Provincial Chairperson, delivered the directive during a visit to the farm this Thursday, reiterating Government’s firm stance against unlawful occupation of State land.
“President regularised Caledonia and Harare south, and that should not be misconstrued, as no regularisation programmes will be adopted in future. This is state land, and only a few war veterans are known to be here. We don’t tolerate illegal settlements. We need to go back to where we came from. We are saying that those who came from Harare, Chegutu, Goromonzi, and any other places should go back to where they came from. We are giving you up to next week on Wednesday to vacate this place. We have given you seven days to vacate this area,” he said.
Local legislator Honourable Munyaradzi Kashambe welcomed the government intervention.
“I want to thank President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa for sending Minister Garwe to stop illegal settlements. The people were under a reign of terror from land barons,” he said.
The affected farmers are excited over the intervention, saying the land baron activities were “My land was invaded by land barons. I had a honey project that was affected. The land barons are violent, and we are happy with this intervention,” a farmer said.
“We are happy with the intervention by Government. We were allocated this land and stayed here for 25 years. There is sand poaching here due to land baron activities. The land barons are attacking people’s land owners,” a land owner said.
“I am happy with this decision. We were resettled in 2001. My farm was invaded by illegal settlers,” another farmer said.
“I want to thank President Mnangagwa for intervening to stop illegal settlements. We were having sleepless nights. The land barons harvested our fields, and we are excited that the illegal settlers have been given seven days to vacate Gilstone,” another land owner said.
The Second Republic is on record about the need for citizens to adhere to the country’s laws regarding settlement on state land.
