VILLAGERS in Silongwe area wards 11 and 12, Matobo in Matabeleland South have raised a red flag over alleged illegal parcelling out of grazing land by acting provincial lands officer, Luke Mapiliyawo.
The villagers claim that some people were being allocated the grazing land for settlement without compensation for the affected villagers. There are also claims that the allocation is being done under unclear circumstances.
A petition has since been submitted to the office of the Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs minister Abednicho Ncube and to Chief Bango of Silongwe, Matopo.
“We don’t have too much rain in this province and we depend on cattle farming. But due to these actions, our livestock is under threat of starvation. We have lost a significant portion of grazing land. There are indications that Mapiliyawo is parcelling our grazing land,” a villager told this publication.
Chief Bango, however, denied receiving a report on the matter while Mapiliyawo said people were exaggerating.
“Who am I to do that to people? Why would they fear me? The issue is now in the highest office of the province, so talk to the provincial minister,” Mapiliyawo said.
Matobo District Development Co-ordinator, Obey Chaputsira refused to comment on the matter.
“I am aware of the matter in question, but I cannot comment since the issue is about grazing land,” he said.
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Ncube was not reachable on his mobile phone.
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