Chipinge-In a disturbing turn of events, more than 400 villagers from Munyokowere village, embroiled in a pending land dispute with the Chipinge Rural District Council, found themselves at the Chipinge Magistrates Court today, February 12, 2024.
The villagers face allegations of occupying a gazetted land under the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act chapter 29.12, sparking outrage over the chaotic legal proceedings.
Despite the court ordering the villagers to return home on free bail due to unclear and improperly presented charges, concerns arise over the seemingly orchestrated harassment of innocent women and the elderly.
The court’s decision leaves questions lingering, especially considering the impracticality of accommodating over 400 people within the confines of a courtroom.
This troubling scenario follows the recent appearance of more than 300 villagers from Mahachi village under Chief Musikavanhu in court on February 9, 2024, under similar disorganized circumstances.
Villagers from Kondo in ward 5 and Maunganidze in ward 1 of Chipinge RDC are slated to face similar charges this week, yet there appears to be little improvement in the handling of these cases by both the police and local authorities.
The Chipangayi ZRP summoned over 400 Munyokowere villagers on February 10, 2024, to face what the affected parties deem frivolous charges.
Public knowledge asserts that these villagers, spanning over 16 villages in Chipinge, are natives and indigenous people, emphasizing the gravity of their rights being compromised.
The Platform for Youth and Community Development Trust, in collaboration with esteemed institutions like the University of Western Cape and national civic organizations such as Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association, and Zimbabwe Lands and Agrarian Network, has been at the forefront of advocating for and protecting the rights of the affected villagers in Chipinge.
Legal representation for the affected Mahachi and Munyokowere villagers is provided by Professor Lovemore Madhuku, who has instructed Advocate Tarisai Tazvitya in this ongoing battle for justice.