Alliance of CBOs Solidarity Statement with PYD and the Chisumbanje Communities We the undersigned Community Based Organisations (CBOs) across Zimbabwe express our heartfelt solidarity with the people of Chisumbanje and Chinyamukwakwa in Chipinge who have fallen victim to acts of abuse by the local police force, or individual members of it. We are greatly concerned about the rights and livelihoods of women, children, youth and the generality of the farming communities affected by land wrangle and police interventions in attempt to resolve the conflict. As community based initiatives working to advance the rights of people and promote their effective participation in our localities in community decisions and issues that affect them, we are greatly saddened by the violent developments where the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) from Chisumbanje Police Station descended on the Chinyamukwakwa and Chisumbanje communities since 27 December 2014 to bar them from tilling their land on claims of unresolved boundaries between the villagers and Green Fuel. For most of the families, knowing they sorely depend on their land for livelihoods, they went on to till their land and plant their crops as per annual routine. The police reacted violently and beat up the unarmed people who were not even protesting violently but only doing what they have to do to earn a living. The clashes have been escalating with a total of 10people being arrested. On 8 January 2015, the prosecutors and lawyers at Chipinge Magistrates Court dismissed the case on grounds that it is unresolvable. We are concerned that the state has taken so long to resolve the boundary dispute between the villagers and Green Fuel. History shows that boundary conflicts the world over constitute most of the perpetual and violent conflicts. However, on the Chisumbanje-Green Fuel dispute, we expect the government of Zimbabwe to intervene and bring the dispute to finality as any further delay has a huge impact on the already compromised livelihoods of the Chinyamukwakwa and Chisumbanje communities. Already because of the current wrangle some have not been able to plant any crops and this points to hunger and starvation among the affected families. Our understanding of the long standing boundary dispute between villagers and Green fuel is that it is a five years long dispute having been attended to by the cabinet of Zimbabwe in September 2012 through the leadership of Professor Arthur Mutambara who was the then Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. Professor Mutambara instituted an all stakeholders committee known as District Ethanol Plant Implementation Committee (DEPIC) to preside over the relations. As part of his report, Prof Mutambara emphasized on issues of compensation either by the investor or by the government of Zimbabwe itself should evictions of the affected families take effect. In following up on how far the Committee had gone in resolving the matter, Platform for Youth Development (PYD) a Chipinge based community organization and member of the Alliance of CBOs, commended the committee for conducting tremendous work towards resolving the dispute. PYD had also expressed hope that following the visit to the communities by the Parliamentary Portfolio committee on Youth, Indigenization and Economic Empowerment led by Nembudziya Legislator Hon. Mayor Wadyajena on 11 July 2014, the issue was going to be resolved and give the people of Chisumbanje and Chinyamukwakwa peace. It is thus disturbing that in light of attempted positive developments from the government to resolve the issue, another arm of the same government just wakes up amidst such developments and brutalise villagers. The villagers have not been informed through proper government structures that they should stop using their plots and farmland. There is no question, however, about the unacceptability of the police to resort to use of force. The Alliance of CBOs dotted across Zimbabwe working to improve the livelihoods of our communities and the active engagement of citizens in issues that affect them, therefore condemn the behaviour of the police who fired tear gas on unarmed villagers who were only doing what they have to do to support their families in the face of a plummeting economy which have reduced many able bodied Zimbabweans to rely on subsistence agriculture to earn a living. We are appealing to the police and Zimbabwe national army who are reportedly now a permanent feature in Chisumbanje disputed land to retreat from torturing unarmed innocent citizens, women, children and families and treat them with the human dignity they deserve as guaranteed in the Constitution of Zimbabwe until a lasting solution to this problem is found. We the undersigned organizations therefore: • Condemn the use of force in the settlement of the said conflict. Police is expected to protect civilians in the face of such unresolved disputes until the matter is resolved by the courts of the land in a justiciable manner. • We condemn in strongest terms the recent alleged violations of the bodily integrity and the health of local residents by local riot police forces • We therefore appeal to the Police Commissioner to come in and reign in the police forces whom we believe are being used to advance the interest of a private investor against the people of Chinyamukwakwa. We also hope that he will find the right words to explain police actions to the public and engage in a non-violent public dialogue. • We are concerned about the actions of the former Minister of Energy and Power Development Dzikamai Mavhaire to unilaterally dissolve the DEPIC despite its commendable steps to resolve the dispute. It is noted that since DEPIC was dissolved, there have been unending clashes between villagers and police who always resort to use of force when the need for dialogue is glaring. • We are calling for the state and non-governmental organisations in Chipinge to facilitate training programmes on non-violent conflict resolution mechanisms • We call upon on all involved parties to enter into a multi stakeholder dialogue as initially suggested by the Platform for Youth Development. Alliance of CBOS is an initiative hatched by community based local organizations scattered throughout the ten provinces of Zimbabwe. The objective of the initiative is to share experiences and challenges to eventually provide solidarity and security around each other Affiliate Organizations Plumtree Development Trust Mission to Live Youth Initiatives for Development in Mutoko Institute for Young Women Development Community Tolerance and Reconciliation Development Trust Platform for Youth Development Trust Zimbabwe Organisation for Youth in Politics Youth Initiative for Community Empowerment Trust Mutare YODAT
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 10:39:50 +0000
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