The victims were turned into squatters over night over the weekend and by the time of going to print most of them were camped along the Masvingo –Mutare highway some with their livestock awaiting the next move.
Others according to sources had taken refugee in mountains as armed police ran a cat and mouse game with them.
The villagers said they regretted voting for President Mugabe and his ruling Zanu PF party during last year’s harmonised elections.
They argued that they were being victimised because they had demanded a land audit which could have exposed senior government official Zanu PF bigwigs who have multiple farms.
Other said that they were being victimised because they had been labelled opposition political party supporters after the defied an evection order from the Masvingo provincial lands committee.
“We have learnt lessons that supporting Zanu PF and its leader is like drinking poison,” said one of the victims who refused to be named for fear of victimization.
“We regret voting for Mugabe and Zanu PF and as I told you we have learnt lessons that we must not vote for Zanu PF and Mugabe forever,” he added.
“The land reform programme was embraced by many people in the country including all of us but now we have suddenly become enemies of the state because we have simply told government that we do not want to be removed because their are some people who are multiple farm owners,” he added.
It was a sad situation this week along the Masvingo –Mutare high way as young children and the elderly lined up the road at night which they said was the only safe place for them to seek shelter temporarily before pondering the next move.
“We have moved closer to this road (Masvingo-Mutare highway) to run away from dangerous wild animals and to ensure that we easily get transport in the event of us having thought of relocating somewhere,” said 75 year old Sarah Chingwe
“At the same time especially at night when we see a suspicious vehicle we retreat into the bush because we are afraid of being beaten up by police officers,” she said.
“Several people are currently nursing injuries while other has since been admitted in different hospitals that are around,”claimed Chingwe.
“Young boys and girls who have power and energy to run have since sought refugee in the nearby, mountains running away from police brutality,”Chingwe added.
Police in Masvingo this week refused to comment while Zanu PF Masvingo provincial chairman retired brigadier general Callisto Gwanetsa said his party had nothing to do with the evictions.
However Masvingo provincial administrator Felix Chikovo said that those who were being evicted had defied a government order to vacate the properties.
“We had found an alternative land to resettle them but when we went there to take them to their new plots they refused hence we had to call the police,” said Chikovo.
“We have an order to remove all the people in the province currently settled illegally on any piece of land and those people you are talking of are some of them.
This is not the first time that riot police have fought running battles with farm occupiers in Masvingo.
Early this year armed police undertook a similar exercise in Masvingo east leaving dozens homeless.
Post published in: News