By A Correspondent- An unfortunate messenger of  Court, bore the brunt of furious former farm workers and their families after he had come to enforce an eviction order.

The dramatic incident took place at Water Vlei Farm along Seke Road in Chitungwiza, where the messenger of court was viciously attacked by the crowd. 

They claimed that the farm previously belonged to a sand quarrying syndicate called Supersands, whose owners allowed them to stay on the land.

The original white owners left during the Land Reform Programme in 2000, but left the workers in the compound.

According to witnesses, the Messenger of Court forced entry into houses by breaking locks using a bolt cutter and dumped possessions and furniture along Seke Road, leaving more than 50 families stranded.

The farm is now owned by Mrs Tambudzai Kachepa, who said she inherited it from her father, Mr Dickson Kachepa, who bought it in 1984 and had all the title deeds.

Mrs Kachepa said the residents were given ample time to pack their belongings in 2017 but had resisted moving on at least two previous occasions.

Things went south when the Messenger of Court dumped goods and property on the side of the road as is standard practice and barred the workers from entering their “homes”.

The residents then retaliated by blocking the truck and started beating up staff of the Messenger of Court.

One worker, Mrs Dorica Chakoroma said she needed ample time to pack her belongings and find alternative accommodation.

“We didn’t resist eviction but it’s only that we haven’t been given ample time to pack our things and go. Can you imagine how difficult things are nowadays? Where can we go? We don’t have money even to transport our belongings,” said Mrs Chakoroma.

One, Mr Sylvester Mamhovha had no kind words for the court emissaries’ conduct.

“We are not happy with the way these people executed the evictions. They have destroyed our goods. We are now counting our losses,” said Mr Mamhovha.