We have intervened to save 750 families in Munyokowere village in Chipinge who are facing arbitrary eviction by the government, which has told them to leave the village by 26 July, failure of which police and soldiers will forcefully evict them.

Justice Mwayera at Mutare High Court will at 2:30 PM preside over [the] hearing and determination of an urgent application filed by Tariro Tazvitya of [the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights] on behalf of the villagers seeking to stop Government from evicting them and stop demolishing their homes and stop threatening/harassing them.

We are worried that Government is resorting to self-help by arbitrarily evicting the villagers without a court order and we are also concerned about the manner and timing of the forced eviction, which is likely to impact negatively on the villagers’ food security and livelihoods.