By A Correspondent| Government has virtually dumped Whitecliff residents it illegally settled on land belonging to a private property developer over a decade ago, leaving them at the mercy of an impending eviction.
The residents, in their thousands, illegally settled on land grabbed Eddies Pfugari Properties and are staring in the face of an eviction President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government failed to compensate the company as earlier agreed.
Pfugari obtained an eviction order at the High Court a few years ago, but the government, through the Local Government ministry, prevented its implementation after committing to paying for the land.
After government reneged on the payment, the company was left with no option but seek the services of the Sheriff of the High Court to implement the eviction.
This publication can also report that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) dispatched officers, who included high ranking cops, to the area to map out how the evictions will proceed.
In any eviction by the Sherrif, police officers are at law required to provide escort for security.
Some of the residents who spoke to this publication Thursday said they are living in fear of evictions.
“We encourage the government to pay. We did not come here on our own. We were settled by government and we expect it to honour its obligations,” a resident said.
Another resident said: “We are living in constant fear of being evicted and we are in a very depressing situation. We don’t know what to do.”
Efforts to get comments from government were fruitless with Local Government minister apparently terminating calls without answering before sending a text message requesting written inquiries which he still did not respond to.
Deputy minister Marian Chombo also requested written questions.
“I do have an update on that but I would appreciate that you send your inquires in written form,” she said.
She however also did not respond to written inquires.
Permanent secretary in the ministry Zvinechimwe Churu claimed he was in a meeting and could not entertain any questions.