Rivers and Nyandirwe farms where people were resettled had been largely used for
animal husbandry as the land is unsuitable for crop production. The land is sandy and
arid and this will make it impossible for the resettled people to resort back to normal
livelihoods without the assistance of the government. Even though the land at Lazy farm
is fertile, some of the resettled villagers complained that it was prone to waterlogging and
flooding in the rainy season.
7.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion the ZHRC notes that the relocation of people from Arnold
Farm without suitable alternative land was not sanctioned by the Courts as
required by the law, therefore a violation of numerous rights. In the course
of the evictions, the rights to freedom from arbitrary eviction, education,
health, administrative justice, freedom of movement were chief among
those negatively impacted. It is worth noting that the issue of adequate
compensation to the affected families continues to be a bone of contention
which state institutions involved in this exercise have not prioritized. The
State when effecting evictions through its institutions should ensure the
evictees possess a degree of security of tenure which guarantees legal
protection against forced eviction, harassment and other threats. The
evictions at Arnold farm were not well coordinated between government
agencies, thereby causing suffering by the evictees. In brief the evictions
and demolitions at Arnold and Valeria farms were unconstitutional and are
a clear violation of the rights as stated out in the Declaration of Human
Rights.
8.
RECOMMENDATIONS
TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE/MINISTER OF STATE FOR
MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE
8.1
It is recommended that the Government takes appropriate measures to
ensure that complainants are resettled in adequate productive land that
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