Mpofu villagers face second eviction
By Thembelhle Mhlanga
It never rains but pours for villagers in Mpofu village, Gwamba Ward under the jurisdiction of Chief Mabhikwa in Lupane as they face the prospect of a second eviction due to infrastructural developments happening in the area.
According to the villagers, the imminent eviction would be the second in a short period of time. Initially the villagers had been ordered to relocate away from the environs of the Bubi-Lupane dam, a move they claim to be reeling from to this day.
Speaking to this publication, Ms. Susan Khumalo, a villager, expressed her pain and frustration at the inconvenience of being moved again before they could even settle at the new location.
“This is very painful to us. The authorities told us to make way for the construction of the dam by shifting our homes to higher ground to which we obliged. However, much to our surprise, they came back, instructing us to move further away or risk being consigned to resettlement areas such as Kana Block or Gundwane”, said an emotional Khumalo.
Khumalo highlighted that the community had labored to, among other things, build a school and set up structures in anticipation of settling for the long haul, hence the eviction order was totally unexpected. She added that “Proximity to the river meant that they could easily water their fields so that they could sell their produce to raise their children’s school fees.”
Furthermore, villagers said that, since the construction of the dam they have never had peace owing to pressure exerted on them by officials instructing them to relocate further away, at least 500 metres away from the dam.
To further, complicate the villagers’ plight, the designated place of their relocation has been turned into an irrigation scheme site meaning they have to move a greater distance away from the dam. Siphiwe Nyoni, another villager lamented the fact that the community no longer has enough space since they are now sandwiched by the dam on one side and the irrigation scheme on another. “We are now caught up between the dam and the irrigation scheme so we have nowhere to go to, ours is a tough situation” said Nyoni.
A villager who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that the Mpofu villagers were only given a meagre amount of money, “not enough to buy a packet of steel nails, and were told to relocate to other areas.”
Efforts to get a comment from the District Development Coordinator Mrs Enette Sithole were fruitless as she was said to be away from the district at the time of writing.
