Farai Dziva| MORE than 500 communal farmers from Chivhunze Farm under Chief Bvute in Mberengwa, say they were used and dumped by the ruling party Zanu PF.

According to state media reports the farmers have been served with eviction notices.

The farmers were settled at the farm in 2009 and paid US$20 to the local authority which issued them with permits under the settlement permits by-laws of 2006, according to a weekly state run publication.

However, the settlers have been given less than a month to vacate the area by Government through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement.

The farmers last week petitioned Mberengwa North Member of Parliament, Tafanana Zhou, and other Government officials to air out their grievances.

“The farmers approached me to register their grievances. They hold permits that they were issued with in 2009. They have been at the farm for close to a decade now. They said they were being told to vacate the farm as they are being classified as illegal settlers. So we have approached Government and the party (Zanu-PF) leadership to assist these farmers because in my view they were legally settled and cannot be classified as illegal settlers,”Zhou told The Sunday News.

Zanu-PF Midlands provincial chairperson, Daniel McKenzie Ncube confirmed receiving the report saying the party will deliberate on the matter and approach the responsible Ministry to assist the farmers.