Gokwe Farmers Protest Against Chief Njelele Over The Murder Of Colleague By Illegal Settlers
Farmers belonging to Gokwe’s Chemagora Small-Scale Commercial Farmers’ Union are up in arms with a local chief, Chief Njelele whom they accuse of being a land baron, and responsible for the murder of their colleague, George Jongwe by illegal settlers.
Jongwe was hacked to death with axes and machetes by a group of 15 illegal settlers on his farm. The settlers had Chief Njelele’s alleged blessing. Jongwe shot and killed one of the illegal settlers and he was killed in retaliation.
In an interview with Southern Eye, one of the farmers at the estates said:
We know Jongwe was killed by illegal settlers who paid money to Chief Njelele so that they could get land illegally. It is him who brought this trouble and he should, therefore, be confronted.
Chemagora Small-Scale Commercial Farmers’ Union chairperson Dumapi Tutami had this to say:
We have resolved to take the chief head-on because he is the problem. We are also going to be holding demonstrations at his homestead until he sorts out the problem he created.
We have evidence that has been placed before the Prosecutor-General over the chief’s corrupt tendencies, and we are not just out to fight him.
