More Evictions Are Coming: Govt Says
THE Government has warned that more illegal settlement sites across the country will be identified for eviction following the recent displacement of thousands of families from Willdale Farm.
At least 3,000 people were forcibly evicted from Willdale Farm in Zvimba East and left stranded. Despite government assurances, many of the affected families who were relocated to Nyabira are reportedly living in poor and unsafe conditions.
Speaking during a post-cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Information Minister Jenfan Muswere said further evictions were imminent as authorities intensify efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal settlements nationwide.
“Cabinet received an update report regarding the fate of families evicted from Willdale Farm and proposals on the way forward for other similar illegal settlements,” said Muswere.
“Government remains seriously concerned about the spread of illegal settlements, and as such, more sites requiring eviction will be identified, with strategic interventions being implemented to deal decisively with this menace.
“The objective is to stem the apparent disregard for the country’s settlement laws, as well as court orders, by some unscrupulous individuals,” he added.
However, the evictions at Willdale Farm have raised serious human rights concerns, particularly given the existence of a High Court order intended to regulate the eviction process.
Families, some of whom had lived on the land for many years, were reportedly given less than an hour to gather their belongings before bulldozers moved in to demolish their homes.
Many were unable to salvage their property, while the few items recovered were left piled along the Chinhoyi–Nyabira Road, where families were forced to endure harsh conditions.
The relocation of the displaced families to Nyabira has also exposed significant shortcomings. The site reportedly lacks basic services such as running water and adequate sanitation, raising concerns over violations of the affected families’ rights to decent housing, safety and living conditions that uphold human dignity.
Illegal settlements remain widespread in Zimbabwe, particularly around Harare, driven by poverty, acute housing shortages and the activities of corrupt land barons who sell unserviced land to desperate home-seekers. *NewZW*
