The local authority has turned the piece of land into a commercial stand.
A group of 200 widows, people living with HIV, the aged and orphans benefited from the project initiated on a five hectare piece of land in Senga surbub by the NGOs, Care International Zimbabwe and Educational Concerns for Hunger Organisation.
The plot had a borehole and electric generators to drive 20 pumps installed by the donors. If the electricity pumps failed, other bush pumps had been stationed as a back up.
However, the city fathers recently sold the land to energy parastatal ZESA which has begun the installation of a booster.
“We just saw earthmoving machines arriving at the gardens one day. These started moving away our crops and when we tried to find out what was happening, we were told the land had been sold to ZESA,” said Mildred Nyika, a 49-year-old female beneficiary.
“Most of our crops had reached fruition,” Evans Nyati, another beneficiary, said.
Gweru Mayor Teddious Chimombe defended the evictions saying the projects were never meant to be permanent.
“The projects were temporary. That is why we have taken that land for other purposes. The affected people should look elsewhere for survival,” he said.
Post published in: News