By Takudzwa Changadeya
Forced evictions of indigenous minority groups from their communal land to pave way for foreign investors should stop, the opposition Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa said.
Chamisa made this call during the party’s campaign launch at Gweru’s Mkoba Stadium on Sunday.
He said local authorities should ensure that eviction processes are carried out only when they are strictly necessary, and follow due process, adequate prior consultation with the affected residents and adequate compensation through the provision of alternative land.
“What’s happening in this country is not good, people are being evicted from their land for foreign investor to milk our resources.
“They gain nothing from those investments and that should be stopped. People have the right to be wherever they are in this country not like what happened in Chilonga where thousands of people were left destitutes, ” he said.
In February 2021, the Local Government, Urban and Rural development Ministry issued a public eviction notice, ordering thousands of people occupying approximately 12,940 hectares of Chilonga communal land in Chiredzi, southeastern Zimbabwe, to leave their places of residence immediately.
The government did not provide reasonable notice for relocation and resettlement, compensation plan, and the provision of alternative land with infrastructure like schools, clinics, hospitals, and roads.
Section 74 of the Zimbabwe constitution prohibits eviction in the absence of a court order issued after considering all the relevant circumstances.
Forced evictions without compensation violate international human rights law.
The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, which Zimbabwe ratified, requires in Article 3(1)(a) that states parties “refrain from, prohibit and prevent arbitrary displacement of populations.”
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights states that communities’ traditional and collective ownership of land should be recognized and protected under the right to property and this includes protecting all communities from forced evictions.
Chamisa said nobody would be evicted when he gets into government.
“Artisanal miners, you have been told that once Chamisa gets into power, he will displace you.
“That is a lie. I will give you dignity and ensure that you enjoy your rights,” he said.
Chamisa added that: “People don’t have to benefit from resources because they have allegiance to a political party. You must not mine because you are paying royalties to party bigwigs. You have already paid your tithes to God, who gave you the right to be born in a country rich with mineral resources.”
