By Kudakwashe Vhenge
Recently in Chiredzi-“Chakatanga ndochakachenjedza” a Zimbabwean old adage better understood in the Queen’s language as “Once bitten, twice shy” are the opening remarks of Phelimon Velemu (58).
He is the headman of Velemu Village under Chief Sengwe who faces the fear of being relocated together with his people.
Velemu village is situated South East of Zimbabwe in Chiredzi East Constituency. The same is some eighty kilometers South West of the Sugarcane town of Chiredzi. This area is amongst hordes of villages of people of the Shangaani origin who are living in uncertainty as their existence in the land they inhabit is on the verge of extinction as their land is yet again about to be taken away from them for what will be the third time in a century.
If this said eviction comes to fruition, it would effectively mean that this tribe has been subjected to a forced nomadic lifestyle after being moved from the surrounding estates conservancies and plantations. They are facing yet another exodus which they fear will extinct their preserved cultural practices, and essentially their livelihood.
Bustop TV news crew on a fact-finding mission established that the Shangaan people had heard through the grapevine that about 1 200 hectares of their land is to be taken from them. It is said the land was identified as ideal for farming lucerne grass for dairy cows at a meeting held in January this year at Chiredzi Rural District Council offices. Samples of soil were taken barely a year ago and this dreadful news started to brew.
The meeting outlined that the government identified an investor to spearhead the project. Of note is South African based engineer, Paul Kruger who has closely worked with the government on various water projects who has been in attendance of the said meetings. Investigations by the villagers established interesting findings that the lucerne grass is meant for dairy cows belonging to Dendairy, one of the leading dairy companies headquartered in Kwekwe.
In early March of 2020 villagers were ordered to write down their names and belongings such as livestock purportedly for records keeping without clear explanations as to the actual use of the data being gathered. However, this exercise only made the villagers more anxious and even more speculative that a D-Day has already been set for their demise.
The general sentiment by villagers who spoke to Bustop TV was that they wish to stay on the land so they do not have to be constantly moved like nomads. Of importance is the fact that the Shangaan feel outdone because they have developed this area they now call home.
“Usakanganwa Chazuro nehope” Our fathers and grandfathers stayed in surrounding conservancies and estate plantations such as present day “Gonarezhou national park” as well as Triangle and Hippo Valley estates. We came here people of the same tribe from different directions around 1963 and the land was not fit for human habitation due to the harsh climatic conditions as well as tsetse flies.
“We worked tooth and nail to ensure that we adapt and sustain ourselves under difficult circumstances and now to hear that we are to be removed yet again is something that is totally unacceptable to the people who are living in my village and those surrounding as we will lose entirely everything that we have worked for and lived for,” lamented Velemu.
Once a dry ecology region and tsetse flies infested land, the Shangaan people have gradually made the land productive.
Small grain farming sustains livelihoods of thousands of families who are on contract farming with the country’s major beer breweries, Ingwebu and Chibuku breweries.
Sabina Sithole a 46 year old widow and mother of four who solely depends on contract farming of sorghum expressed dismay over the news of the occupation of their land by the new investors who had not engaged their local traditional leadership for dialogue.
On a good farming season, Sabina and family produces 12 to 15 tons of sorghum realizing profits worth US$10 000. Due to the farm produce her family leads a decent life, guaranteeing education for her children which is her top priority. Her eldest daughter is already at tertiary level.
The visibly shaken Sithole suggested that instead of having their land taken away from them, the so called investors could emulate other companies and partner them as contract farmers.
“Personally I am not against the idea of having a new crop or even those grasses farmed in our area but what we don’t want is to be removed from our land which we have been staying on since time immemorial. What we are suggesting is that that this Dendairy or whoever wants that grass grown here should give us all the inputs, teach us how to farm the grass, so that we grow it for them and they buy from us not all these stories of evicting us we are hearing about,” she said.
The constitution of Zimbabwe states that (1) The State must— (a) promote and preserve cultural values and practices which enhance the dignity and well-being of Zimbabweans; and (b) encourage the preservation, development and enrichment of all indigenous cultural practices in Zimbabwe.
This entails that the government is obliged to protect minority cultural societies such as the Shangaan people but contrary to that, they have identified tribalism as another fueling factor to their continuous displacement which is threatening the very existence of their cultural practices.
Livison Chikutu (41) who is the chairperson of a committee set by the headmen to lead on this issue of land evacuation reflected signs of tribalism demonstrated against them and reminded government of its obligation to preserve the rights of its citizens.
“We are made to believe that there is that narrative that we are not original inhabitants of Zimbabwe as we are said to have come from South Africa and Mozambique as the Shangaan people hence they want to sweep us off the land of Zimbabwe. In fact, during the by elections in 2005 there is a certain ZANU PF candidate who said “Ndichatsika vanhu vechi Shangaan dzamara vasvika kuMozambique” (We will push the Shangaan people until they get to Mozambique).
“Now we are recalling those utterances and realizing that the government has come to fulfill that which has been said by their member about our people. The government should therefore respect the people by protecting us instead of dividing us according tribal lines because we don’t like that.”
For the Shangaan people, they feel they are being let down by the government which is not upfront with them. Constantly living in speculation of how the next day will be like, all they can do is enjoy the moments they had on the land and perhaps keep making a little more memories before the eviction. Another option will be to refuse the eviction and cease the colonialist like behaviour. What was synonymous to all those who spoke to this news crew was that none of them displayed a willingness to depart the once inhabitable land they have made habitable and now call home.
