ELLEN MLAMBO-MANYENYEREKWA
MIRROR REPORTER
Nancy Rikitai Gwaindepi (42) and a neighbour spent the night in the cells and were released in the afternoon the next day.
Gwaindepi claimed that Mukungunugwa is grabbing more than 4 adjacent plots measuring 1,5 hectares each which leaves him with at least 6 hectares of land in Masvingo’s most prime peri-urban agricultural area.
Gwaindepi, her husband Prichard Tafirenyika Masocks and their son (11) sobbed as they related the trauma that they suffer at the hands of Zanu PF and senior Government officials who are evicting more than 700 people including war veterans, former Police officers and civil servants who stayed at Clipsham for more than 20 years.
Gwaindepi said she is so traumatised and depressed to a point where she sometimes thinks of taking her own life. Other plot holders who talked to Masvingo Mirror on condition of anonymity claimed that Zanu PF politicians who are grabbing the land are multiple farm owners with sugarcane farms in Chiredzi and other farms elsewhere.
Affected plot holders told Masvingo Mirror that they have offer letters issued to them by the then Minister of Lands. The new occupiers, including Permanent Secretaries, Directors in various ministries and workers from the office of Masvingo Minister of State Ezra Chadzamira are armed with a fresh letters from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
Those who are being evicted claimed that they were only given verbal notices to vacate the place. The new scheme is shrouded in secrecy and efforts by Masvingo Mirror to get details from relevant Government Departments have for the last two years yielded nothing.
Mukungunugwa confirmed the case to Masvingo Mirror but he said that the plot belonged to his brother Day Mukungunugwa. He described Gwaindepi as an illegal occupant who was given notice to move out when Day was allocated the land by the Ministry in September, 2025. He said the area is now designated as agro-business plots. He said that his brother had been in communication with the ‘illegal settlers’.
Mukungunugwa asked Masvingo Mirror not to publish the story arguing that it would drag his name into mud. He said that he had never visited the plot.
Efforts to get a comment from Day were futile’
Gwaindepi said two of her traumatised children, one aged 16 and another 19 have just disappeared from home as harassment from Police and Mukungunugwa’s workers increased. The family does not know where the two are although they are supposed to be in school.
Provincial Police Spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said the name of Gwaindepi was not in their records.
Mukungunugwa however, confirmed that Gwaindepi was arrested.
“I have checked our records, and we don’t have that name.” said Dhewa.
Masocks told Masvingo Mirror that Police visited the area twice and told plot holders that someone with great influence was coming to occupy their plots. He said the workers erecting the fence also told him that it was Mukungunugwa who had sent them.
The incident leading to the arrest and detention of Gwaindepi started with the men pitching up at the plot and erecting fence in an area covering 4 x 1,5 hectare plots. Gwaindepi told Masvingo Mirror that she pleaded with the men to consider her situation as she was about to become homeless and the next thing she saw was a Police Mahindra with two female Police officers and a driver arriving.
She, her baby and a neighbour were arrested and taken to the Police station and locked up for the night before being released the next day.
“Four days ago, my wife was arrested and she slept in the cells. Two of my children have just left home and we do not know where they are. They fled because of the situation.” Said Masocks.
Masocks who works as a driver in Shurugwi had to leave his job in Shurugwi to be with his family and attend to the situation.
“We started staying here in 2002, and since last year, there have been people claiming ownership of the land where we reside and threatening to pull down the property. It affected me so much.
“The men erecting the fence told me that they had been sent by MP Mukungunungwa. They accused us of destroying private property,” said Gwaindepi.
Moffat Chikozho (72) who is also affected said he stayed on his plot since 2002 and had been disturbed by the latest developments.