THE battle between villagers who were relocated from Chiadzwa diamond fields and teachers at Chirasika School for accommodation at Arda Transau in the resettlement area has spilled into the courts after the teachers sought to have the villagers evicted.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
In October last year, nine villagers, including seven members from Kambeni family, occupied the teachers’ yards and pitched makeshift tents after a protracted battle with the District Administrator’s office to get decent accommodation as promised prior to their relocation had failed.
After years of unfulfilled promises, the villagers vowed to stay put at the school yard until their grievances were addressed.
They also claimed that the teachers were not entitled to the houses they were occupying and as such, they should move to another 14-roomed house that was previously reserved for the Kambeni family — made up of a polygamous man with 14 wives.
The teachers, led by the school headmaster Joseph Nyangani and Chirasika Primary School Development Committee’s chair Charles Magobeya, have now approached the court seeking to evict the villagers.
The villagers were last Monday served with summons and were expected to respond before the matter is set down on February 18 at the Mutare Magistrate Court.
Part of the draft order against the nine dated February 3 read: “It is ordered that the respondents and all those claiming through them be and are hereby ordered to vacate houses number D3-01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08 and D4-01-Anjin Related Area, Arda Transau, Odzi upon the granting of this order failing which, the Messenger of Court is directed to evict the Respondents and those claiming through them.”
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Nyangani said in his founding affidavit that the respondents are traumatising the teachers and that has affected performance of their work.
“These people cannot and should not be allowed to disrupt the smooth running of the school. If they want their grievances to be heard, they should follow the correct channel through the relevant authorities,” he said.
However, one of the respondents, Lucia Kambeni accused the teachers of bribing authorities to get the houses.
“The houses are lawfully ours and the teachers were temporarily allocated houses. That is on record and everyone knows, including the DA’s office,” she told The Standard last week.
“We are not listening to what they are saying and we are going nowhere. The DA should not play hide and seek with people. Joint Operation Command was here and they fully understand our plight.
“We are approaching the minister of State for this province [Mandy Chimene] and I hope she will be able to help us. While in Chiadzwa we were far much better than the way we are living here. There is no benefit at all from diamond mining that we have seen except this toiling.”
Since relocation in 2009, Chiadzwa villagers have been complaining over numerous unfulfilled promises including proper accommodation and compensation.
