More than 1000 Chiredzi East and South families are set to be evicted to pave way for lucerne production project by private milk producer, Dendairy.
Lucerne is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as well as a green manure and cover crop. NewsDay was told by sources privy to the matter that Dendairy targeted about 10 000 hectares of arable land for the project.
Villagers are reportedly resisting the move arguing that the government has in the past failed to cater for the welfare of residents that were evicted to pave way for the construction of Tugwi-Mukosi dam. NewsDay was told:
People are afraid that they will be evicted to areas where there is no infrastructure which includes schools and clinics. We are not going to allow that to happen. We
have seen that in Chingwizi and Chisumbanje. We cannot let that happen to us.
Villagers are also saying that instead of contracting Dendairy, the government was supposed to empower them so that they implement the lucerne project themselves.
Victims of Tugwi-Mukosi floods, which villagers are using as reference, had to endure hardships at Chingwizi Transit Camp before they were eventually given a one-hectare piece of land each.
More: NewsDay