Dendiary gets greenlight to evict 12,000 villagers in Chilonga, Chiredzi

CHILONGA – A local dairy company owned by white farmer Neville Coetzee with ties to President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been given the green light to evict at least 12,000 villagers of Chilonga, Chiredzi, from their ancestral lands.

Kwekwe-based Dendairy has secured the Chilonga site and intends to grow alfalfa grass for livestock feed.

Alfalfa has the highest nutritional value of all common types of hay, especially with its high protein content.

Local Government Minister July Moyo published a notice in the Government Gazette last Friday announcing the announcement of the development.

“The area of land described herein for the purposes of this appendix is reserved for the production of alfalfa as of the date of publication of this notice.

“Any person who occupies or uses the land specified in the list, except by virtue of a right under the Mines and Minerals Act (Chapter 21.05), is bound to vacate all his property in said land on the date of publication of this notice, unless he acquires rights of use of said land within the meaning of section (9)(1) of the Municipal Lands Act (Chapter (20.04)).”

In 2016, Mnangagwa reportedly said he had worked “very well” with Dendairy owner Neville Coetzee for 40 years.

He also admitted to protecting the Coetzee farm in Kwekwe from land reform because of his “good nature”.

Former local government minister Savior Kasukuwere said that instead of evicting villagers, Dendairy could engage in contract farming and empower local communities to resume production.

“A new form of apartheid and separate development has no place in Zimbabwe. People come first,” Kasukuwere wrote on Twitter.

“Investments need to be people-sensitive. I hope wisdom has not abandoned the officers. Decisions must be sustainable,” Kasukuwere added.

The secretary general of the opposition MDC Alliance party, Charlton Hwende, has no good words for the Zanu PF government, which she describes as hostile to the majority.

“The recent decision by the ZANU PF government, through its local government minister, July Moyo, to evict over 12,000 villagers who moved to Chilonga in Chiredzi to pave the way for a grass to feed the cattle of a dairy company is the clearest proof of the callousness and selfishness of the political elites who rule our country,” Hwende said.

“What makes July Moyo’s policy even more inhumane is that it does not provide displaced villagers with other resettlement options.

“Available information indicates that the grass project is owned by Dendairy, a company affiliated with Emmerson Mnangagwa. This is not the first time that the ZANU PF government has evicted innocent villagers from their land to make way for private corporations capital.

“We have seen these arbitrary evictions in Chisumbanje, Chingwizi, Chiadzwa and now Chiredzi. These evictions must be condemned by all sane Zimbabweans.

“We will take all necessary measures to protect the dignity, livelihoods and land rights of affected villagers. The prebendalism, patronage and nepotism of ZANU PF must be challenged.

“Only an unelected and illegitimate government can favor cows over its people,” Hwende roared.

The Masvingo Center for Research and Development (MACRAD) questioned the legality of the local government minister’s directive.

“Soon we will be challenging Statutory Instrument 50/2021 because it is illegal. The minister cannot expel citizens without a court order to preserve cultural values and practices that enhance dignity, well-being and equality among Zimbabweans,” MACRAD said in a statement.

MACRAD Director Ephraim Mutombeni said affected communities in Xhangaan (Shangaan) also did not know where to resettle.

“They don’t know if there will be schools, clinics, hospitals and roads or other infrastructure in the places where they will be relocated if they have to be evicted,” he said.

MACRAD said the scheduled land is 6,000 hectares in the southeastern Lowveld. Senior government officials, including Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, July Moyo and Ezra Ruvai, have tried unsuccessfully to facilitate dialogue between the Dendairy and affected communities.