Over 700 tenants, including Zanu PF supporters and war veterans, have been evicted from Clipsham Farm, where they resided for the past 24 years. The eviction clears the way for a new smart city project intended for senior government officials, including numerous individuals from Minister Ezra Chadzamira’s office.
The tenants were verbally notified on June 21, 2024, to vacate within seven days. They maintain their resettlement was legitimate and now face displacement with nowhere to go.
Beneficiaries of the new development scheme include permanent secretaries, directors in various ministries, and staff from the office of the Minister of State for Masvingo, Ezra Chadzamira. The project is reportedly under private developers, allegedly the children of a high-ranking Zanu PF politician.
Masvingo Mayor Aleck Tabe asserts that the land belongs to the council and is designated for a provincial hospital, as highlighted in Masvingo’s draft masterplan. This plan suggests the location is ideal for the province’s largest hospital.
A letter dated August 4, 2016, from the then Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Douglas Mombeshora, to the then Minister of Local Government Public Works and National Housing, Saviour Kasukuwere, confirms the handover of Clipsham Farm for urban development.
Ironically, the evicted tenants include some of the most vocal Zanu PF supporters from Chadzamira’s Masvingo West Constituency. Their chairman, Rogers Gava, complained to Zanu PF provincial chairman Robson Mavhenyengwa, who indicated that the land had been reclassified as urban.
The land transfer remains shrouded in secrecy, with no public information available. While sources claim the project is privately owned by a politician’s children, Mayor Tabe insists it belongs to the council and is intended for a hospital.
Permanent Secretary in the Minister of State’s Office, Dr. Addmore Pazvakavambwa, confirmed the situation and mentioned that Chadzamira and he had met with the tenants’ committee. They assured a meeting would be arranged with the Minister of Local Government and Urban Development, Daniel Garwe, and the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Anxious Masuka, but this has not yet occurred. He denied knowledge of his office workers benefiting from the scheme.
Minister Chadzamira referred questions to his permanent secretary, Pazvakavambwa, while Minister Garwe, new to his post, requested questions be resent via email for him to review before commenting.
Zanu PF director of information, Farai Marapira, suggested that villagers should approach the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) if they suspect corruption. He emphasized that Zanu PF does not condone corruption and urged those with evidence to lodge complaints with relevant authorities.
The Mirror has obtained the names of workers from Chadzamira and Pazvakavambwa’s offices who were allocated plots, including Chadzamira’s personal assistant and various deputy directors, drivers, and office orderlies.
The tenants’ letter to Mavhenyengwa expressed their grievances and requested intervention, highlighting disturbances caused by uncommunicated re-pegging of their plots by individuals claiming to be from the Surveyor General’s Office.
Mavhenyengwa acknowledged receiving numerous appeals from supporters but stated that the matter had escalated beyond the party due to the area’s designation for urban expansion.
Former Mines and Mining Development Permanent Secretary, Onesimo Mazai Moyo, a beneficiary of the land, claimed he applied like any other person and deferred comments to the Minister of Local Government.
MASVINGO MIRROR