LIVINSON CHIKUTU, who is leading the community in opposing the setting up of a lucerne farming project in the Chilonga area of Chiredzi district, was arrested on Wednesday and appeared in court on Thursday.
MORRIS BISHI
The arrest is viewed by the Shangaan community as persecution for resisting the project which will displace thousands of families from their ancestral land.
Chikutu’s arrest came a month after angry villagers in Chilonga stormed Chief Chilonga’s residence protesting the continued insistence by the government to set up the lucerne project despite community resistance.
Chikutu, facing charges of inciting the community to commit violence and acting in a dis[1]orderly conduct, appeared before Chiredzi magistrate Misheck Brian Munyaradzi and was granted $5000 bail. He will appear before the same court on 29 June. He is being represented by lawyer Rita Chakauya of Muzenda and Chitsama Legal Attorneys.
Speaking to The NewsHawks after appearing in court, Chikutu said he was arrested in Chilonga on Wednesday afternoon by detectives from the police Law and Order section.
He was released after the intervention of Chakauya, who visited the police station in the evening. He said his arrest is meant to intimidate the Shangaan people against standing up for their rights.
“I was picked by detectives near my home on Wednesday and l was shocked by the development which came some weeks after a protest by villagers at the chief’s place. I was not involved in mobilising the community, the charges are frivolous and I am denying them. Detectives asked me to pay a fine and I refused, they released me in the evening after the intervention of Chakauya who offered me free legal services. I appeared before the court on Thursday morning and the magistrate granted me bail. I was touched by the support shown by community leaders from Chilonga who came to the court in large numbers and it is clear that we will not compromise from our position against the project by Dendairy in our area,” Chikutu said.
A traditional leader from Chilonga told The NewsHawks that the arrest of Chikutu will strengthen the resolve of the Shangaan people and will affect the ongoing consultative meetings between Dendairy, the government and the community.
“There was a time our area was flooded with mysterious people whom we suspected to be state security agents and that was meant to intimidate us. This latest development which saw the arrest of Chikutu is persecution targeted at individuals who are leading the Shangaan people in resisting the lucerne project which will affect our livelihoods. We were evicted from Triangle and Hippo Valley to pave way for sugarcane farming, but we were not compensated and only a few of us were given sugarcane plots. We cannot allow this project to take off at our expense again since the investor and government are not giving us all details about the project,” the traditional leader said.
Masvingo Centre for Research Advocacy and Community Development director Ephraim Mtombeni said the government must stop intimidating community leaders in Chilonga who are against forced displacement.
He said the authorities must respect the constitution and be guided both domestic and international laws instead of riding roughshod over the fundamental rights of minority groups.
