By Own Correspondent
A villager, Jobet Mupengo who was relocated from Ward 12, under Tagarira village following the establishment of Sabi Star Mine was whipped by two police officers over farming land.
Mupengo was summoned by the two police officers whose identities he did not name, at Bhidhiri station and was ordered to lie down before the officers took turns to whip him on his back using baton sticks over a land dispute.
He however indicated that given the chance, he can identify the two police officers.
Mupengo is one of the 44 Buhera families that were relocated and compensated early 2023 by the multi- million dollar lithium mine, Sabi Star Mine, partly owned by Chengxin Lithium Group of China which is operating in partnership with Max Mind Investment Zimbabwe Private Limited in Zimbabwe.
Maxi Mind Investment Zimbabwe Private Limited of 15 Harare Drive Chisipite Harare is a company registered in Zimbabwe according to the Companies Act 24:03. Mr Liu Zheng is one of the company’s shareholders. Sabi Star lithium mine is a subsidiary of Maxi mind Investment Zimbabwe.
A 44 year old father of 4 who was born and bred in Tagarira village, Mupengo told this publication that the dispute over land emanated from failure by the mining firm Sabi Star mine to honour its promise and ensure that those who did not move to Murambinda growth point were compensated agricultural land.
He said after he was relocated, he struggled to get agricultural land and missed two farming seasons since his relocation to his new home as he did not have a field to plough his crops. His livelihood relied on farming.
“I struggled to get any land when I was relocated and I persisted until the village head gave me virgin land which I started clearing. As I was about to finish clearing the land of trees, I was approached by Wonder Mushowe and Mutandwa Makanyo’s families who told me that the land that l have been given by the village head belonged to them”.
Mupengo said the two families claimed that the area he had been allocated was their ancestral land but he referred them back to village head Tagarira since he was the one who had given him the land.
“Our dispute degenerated into almost a physical fight where they confiscated my axe which I was using to clear the land. I reported the matter to Sabhuku Tagarira who summoned the duo to his traditional court but they did not come,” he said.
Mupengo said the two families refused to attend the traditional leader’s court after they were summoned by village head Tagarira’s policeman. The two families were in no show despite several attempts for a meeting at the traditional court.
Mupengo said he was shocked to be summoned by the police 2 days after the two families had refused to attend village head Tagarira’s traditional court. Village head Tagarira was also summoned to the police.
“I was shown my axe confiscated by the Makanyus and interrogated on why I was clearing their land. They queried who had given me the authority to clear that land and which law l had used for my actions. The policeman denigrated the village head and said he was not EMA and had no authority to allow anyone to cut down trees.”
Mupengo said the police officers threatened him and the village head.
Efforts to get a comment from the police were futile by the time of writing. Village head Tagarira’s mobile phone was also not reachable.
Human rights lawyer Paida Saurombe said the police should not be at the forefront of land disputes as this is the mandate of traditional leaders adding that land disputes are issues that should be dealt with by traditional leaders such as village heads and chiefs.
He said chiefs have their own police who have the mandate to summon the aggrieved so that their issues are resolved peacefully at a traditional level.
“Beating people and torturing them is not allowed at law. It is abuse of power when the police beat up civilians. It is also impunity if police officers engage in such because they have power. When they subject people to beatings, it is a violation of the Constitution,” said advocate Saurombe.
“It amounts to torture and a violation of one’s human dignity because they are subjected to beatings. Communities whose rights are violated by the police should report these violations at other police stations or higher offices for redress. When they report, such police officers are charged with assault and in terms of the Police Act.”
Ends//