Hoardes of armed police officers Thursday morning stormed Chinyamukwakwa village in Chisumbanje and terrorised villagers for allegedly stealing a GPS car gadget belonging to businessman and Zanu PF apologist, Billy Rautenbach who owns Green Fuel, a local ethanol producing company.
The allegedly stolen GPS device costs no more than $80.
According to villagers, the raid happened at 0300hrs when everyone was asleep.
“Their first port of call was at Mr Muchatiroto Mashava where they demanded everyone out of their houses as they searched everywhere for GPS,”said one of the the villagers.
“In the process they handcuffed him and one of his sons Gondai Mashava accusing the two of plotting to destroy Green Fuel properties”.
They said the police found nothing from Mr Mashava’s and proceeded to another homestead which belongs to one Mr Bhebhe where they did the same and again found nothing.
The villagers said they believe that the move was an intimidation meant to frustrate their efforts of resisting the existence of Green Fuel which has encroached into their land.
Rautenbach displaced more than 1 700 households with an estimated 10 000 members from their traditional 10 00 hectares of land.
The businessman said he needed 45 000 hectares for cane production when the factory is at full capacity, suggesting that the land grab will continue.