Centre News Reporter

Citizens Coalition for Change Leader, Nelson Chamisa has thrown his weight behind hapless Shangani villagers in Chilonga who are set to be evicted from their land by government to pave way for a cattle grazing grass project saying no one should be evicted from their ancestral land.

Addressing a packed Mucheke Stadium thank you rally, Sunday,  Chamisa said his government will not arbitrary evict villagers  to pursue personal business interests and will instead empower villagers with tittle deeds to have total ownership over  their ancestral land.

His sentiment comes in the wake of concerted efforts by government to relocate nearly 20 000 Chilonga villagers from their ancestral land to pave way for a Lurcen grass  project by alleged President Emmerson Mnagagwa business partners who own Dendiary company.

The CCC leader emphasized the need to give citizens ownership tittle deeds as a way to stop abuse from institutions like government.

“If you look at the way they do things they remove people from their land, right now they are in Chilonga trying to remove them from their land, Tokwe Mkosi they did the same, In our government no one will be removed from ancestral land, We will give you tittle deeds and have ownership of your land we will not evict villagers like they do actually we will empower villagers with total ownership of their land,” said Chamisa

The CCC leader’s support comes barely a week after Local Government Minister, July Moyo visited Chiredzi and told community leaders that they is no going back on Chilonga Lucern project.

“We met the Minister at Triangle country club and he vowed that there was not turning back on the project insisting that villagers will be relocated and were told that government will organize a tour to Kwekwe for community leaders to go and learn how the project will benefit us but we are saying we can’t be moved from our ancestral land,” said Chilonga community leader who attended the meeting.

Efforts to get a comment from Moyo were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.

Chilonga Villagers led by Headman, Livingstone Chikutu, have since hauled government before the High court seeking an interdict against the evictions from their tribal land.

The Villagers are being represented by CCC interim Vice President, Tendai Biti of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, who alleged victimization of the minority Shangani speaking people.

Dendairy Company was established by the Coetzee family in 2004, from a European company, Spear Capital which has about 27% shareholding in Dendairy. The company started its operations in Redcliff in the Midlands province.

Dendiary owners include Andrew Bradnick, VaNeville Coetzee, Cherly Coeztee and Darly Archibald. The Coetzee family is alleged to have close and strong business links with Presidents Mnangagwa.