Retired Colonel Baster Magwizi, the Zipra Veterans Trust chairperson on Friday said the threats to chase him away from Sothani Ranch in Gwayi were revenge for the Trust’s role in stopping the exhumation of bodies in Mt Darwin Zanu PF claims were of people killed during the liberation war.
The Zipra ex-fighters obtained a High Court interdict ordering the Zanu PF aligned war veterans to stop the exhumations until government put in place systems to identify the victims.
“It’s both tribal and political,” Magwizi said.
“The Zanu PF people are telling the villagers here that they should evict me and they would be assisted by Zanu PF because I took their land.
“It is said that I should go back to Mashonaland and leave the land to Matabeleland people.
“Attempts to evict me started after our trust stopped Zanu PF from exhuming bodies in Mt Darwin.”
Ex- Zipra fighters said they suspected that some of the bodies at the Chibondo mineshaft could be of their fellow comrades killed during clashes with Zanla combatants after Independence.
Magwizi claimed there were also attempts to frame him after a report was made to the police that he had stolen scrap metal from a neighbouring white-owned farm.
But he vowed to fight legally to maintain control of his farm, which he said was his only source of livelihood.
Chaotic land evictions, mainly on political grounds, continue across the country despite calls for farm disturbances to end.
Deputy Labour and Social Services minister Tracy Mutinhiri is also fighting for control of her Marondera farm after land invaders allegedly sent by her political rival tried to take over the property.