PYD Calls on Government to address Skewed Land Tenure System and Protect Vulnerable Villagers

As Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa celebrate Africa Day under the theme, “HEALTHY LIFESTYLES PROLONGS LIFE,” at least 3000 villagers in Chipinge District are being served with eviction notices by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. These villagers are found in Checheche, Masimbe, Kondo, Munyokowere, Mucha, Siyekaye and Ndiyadzo villages. The eviction notices gave them seven days to vacate the land they have been occupying since the early 1990s. 

The 2019 theme resonates well with the AU Agenda 2063 no. 1 that endeavor to ensure A HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING, QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELL BEING FOR ALL CITIZENS.

Zimbabwe like all the other African states has a legal obligation to protect villagers from losing their source of livelihood.

The tragic truth is that the government appear to be using institutions to intimidate villagers out of their ancestral land. The government is fully aware that the villagers have little bargaining power to contest the evictions because they lack formal documentation of their customary land.

PYD is dismayed by the continued existence of skewed land tenure systems in Zimbabwe. Inappropriate and weak land governance systems constitute a serious constraint on rural socio – economic development.

PYD is saddened by the realization that insecure land tenure system and dysfunctional local land institutions seriously expose villagers to political vindication and manipulation, and this has an impact on their food security and livelihoods.

Zimbabwe is bound by the tenets of pan - africanism that guide the socio – economic and political philosophy of the African Union. 

It is common knowledge that pan – Africanism aims to encourage and strengthen the bonds of solidarity and collaboration among all the people of African descent, and land rights are embedded in the broad spectrum of the struggle of the African people.

PYD urges the government to address land tenure system for the country to make progress in achieving healthy lifestyles for all. Poor land tenure system limit socio – economic opportunities for vulnerable communities. 

PYD is of the opinion that skewed land tenure system provide a fertile condition for social conflict.

It is for this reason that PYD is calling upon the government to preserve livelihoods and protect human dignity and not to violate the spirit of the law under the pretense of upholding the letter of the letter.

PYD is a community-based organization that seek to have an empowered community with capacity to defend and demand the use and preservation of land as the source of livelihood and the anchor of the economy.

Green Fuel Exposes Mnangagwa’s Empty Promise To Workers

President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday officially opened the new premises for the Labour Court of Zimbabwe in Harare where he made a commitment to enhance the administration of justice in the labour market. 

While this colorful event was underway in Harare, Green Fuel, a company partly owned by government was busy dishing out dismissal letters to over 100 workers in Chisumbanje, Chipinge.

In its letter, Green Fuel quoted Section 12 subsection 4(c) of the Labour Act;

“This letter serves as notice to terminate your contract of employment. Your notice period will run from 10th May 2019 to 10th June 2019 in terms of section 12 subsection 4(c) of the Labour Act (Chapter 28:01).”

In his speech during the official opening of the Labour Court, Mnangagwa promised to be a defender of the workers’ rights.

“Employers and employees are at the centre of business, business in turn relies on the courts to protect not only proprietary interests but also the interests of workers” said Mnangagwa.

It is worrisome to have Green Fuel dismissing workers despite the government’s recent approval of 10 percent mandatory blending.

Armed with the government’s support on its product, it was prudent for the company to contribute towards the social and economic development of Chipinge community and the nation at large. 

The laying off of workers by Green Fuel despite a government commitment to workers’ justice show a high level of insincerity on the part of the both the government and Green Fuel.  

“We are now skeptical about this project. Does it create or destroy employment? If I compare cotton farming that I was previously engaged in, I have a lot of regrets.” Fumed one of the laid off workers who preferred anonymity. 

“We have always raised concerns as community stakeholders to pressure government to reign in on Green Fuel with little success. Green Fuel continues to operate without any considerations for social license as long as they continue to make profit,” said Claris Madhuku, Platform for Youth Development Trust. 

“We hope the President will quickly realize that Green Fuel is exposing him by continuously operating without respecting fundamental human rights of local communities as always raised by PYD,” added Madhuku. 

A CBO Spearhead the Reconstruction of an ECD Block in Chipinge

A community-based organization in Chipinge, PYD secured support from FEPA to reconstruct an ECD block that was devastated by the recent tropical storm Cyclone Idai. The reconstruction initiative helped children from poor background to access education and in turn prevent the dropout rate in the area.

According to the 2017 Annual Education Statistics Profile for Manicaland Province, school age population for Chipinge is 155 944 and of this figure 54 211 are enrolled at infant level. The district has 136 primary schools and the majority of them serve low income bracket. The ECD block at Rimbi Primary School is one of the schools that serve a low-income community.

Tropical Cyclone Idai effects undermined social developments of the Rimbi community, as it exacerbates inequality and marginalization. The destruction of the ECD block in March 2019, is a clear indication of climate related vulnerabilities. In the immediate aftermath of the tropical Cyclone Idai, the damage to the ECD block interrupted children’s education. This posed serious challenges as the Rimbi community is already strained by the current harsh economic environment coupled with a looming drought.

“PYD places education and health of the most vulnerable members of our community at the core of the community development agenda.” Artwell Chingwara, PYD’s Information and Social Media Officer said.

“When Cyclone Idai struct in March this year, there was a rather depressing picture in terms of the impact of the destruction. PYD provided a strong framework with which reconstruction was possible and fell within the time for the school opening” Palmer Simango, Chairperson of the SDC Committee at Rimbi Primary School applauded the role of PYD. “The support that we received confirmed that PYD is indeed socially embedded in our local community.”

It becomes imperative that for social development to be realized in rural communities, quality school infrastructure has to be constructed. The quality infrastructure improves student outcome and reduces school dropouts. This augurs well with the 2030 agenda for sustainable development goal no. 4. Thus, the reconstruction of the ECD block at Rimbi Primary School was done with main objective of improving every child’s well-being. 

Munyokowere Villagers in Chipinge District Face Eviction

Headman Munyokowere holding the eviction papers

On 29 April 2019 villagers in Munyokowere were served with eviction notices by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. The eviction notices gave at least 750 villagers seven days to vacate the land they have been occupying since the early 1990s. PYD, a community based organization is dismayed by the government’s penchant to use institutionalized intimidation in an environment where the communities might have little bargaining power to contest the evictions, as they often lack formal documentation of their customary land rights and access to justice. In the process, PYD engaged the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) on behalf of the villagers. The ZLHR wrote to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Settlement. 

“That some of our clients have been in occupation for a long period as such have built their livelihood, they have built their houses and they have minor children who cannot soldier the harsh winter.” Reads part of the letter to the government. They went on to state that “The state despite demand of request for offer letters has either failed or neglected to provide them with security of tenure.” The letter continued.

The eviction notices are deemed to be necessitated by a 2018 Cabinet resolution on illegal settlers. The cabinet resolved that all people found in farms without any offer letter, permit, lease or title deed are committing a crime in terms of the Lands Consequential Provisions Act Chapter 20:28. 

“The cabinet resolution is admittance that there is rampant corruption in the land governance system and that the evictions are not structured but just a moment to punish some communities that did not vote for Zanu PF in the 2018 plebiscite.” Claris Madhuku, PYD Director said. He went on to state the role of his organisation in the matter. “PYD is at the community level to protect the vulnerable members of our community who are exposed to political vindication and manipulation. Again, we applaud the organizational value of ZLHR in its response to our human rights violation alert.”

Administration of the Lands Consequential Provisions Act Chapter 20:28 neglected the land rights of resettled villagers 

The Munyokowere villagers case dates back to the colonial era. In the 1950s, they were forcibly evicted by the colonial government to pave way for the commercialization of Middle Sabi. They were resettled back in the area in the early 1990s. The first batch of resettled villagers amounted to 39 families and the number has since grown to 750 families. The then Chipinge District Administrator (DA) Mufukera formalized the villagers’ settlement. This move by the local authority heightened villagers’ perceptions and expectation regarding the right to the land.

The manner and timing of the notice of eviction is likely to impact negatively on the villagers’ food security and livelihoods. The absence of formal offer letters, permit, lease or title deed in the area clearly proved a glaring weak land governance system in Zimbabwe. This seriously impair the land use rights of local people as they are not properly reflected in our domestic legal system. Weak land governance systems can thus negatively affect local populations and their food security since they will be open to political manipulation as being witnessed in Munyokowere village. 

This case from a face value can obscure important but masked socio – economic and political issues. The political culture in Zimbabwe has created social inequities in rural communities and they are seemingly allowed to persist, and in the process violate the notion of social justice within the local context. 

“What they have done to the villagers is unjust and smacks of arbitrary authority from our government. The government must ensure that customary land rights are protected and leveraged against manipulation.” Allan Murozvi said. Allan Murozvi is a community activist working with the Platform for Youth Development Trust (PYD). 

The villagers claim to the land evolve through the principle of kinship that was recognized by local government authorities including the then Local Government Deputy Minister Morris Sakabuya. Distortions around customary ownership of land is the bedrock of the villagers” dilemma. The eviction notices enunciated by the government make it clear that the presence of the villagers in Munyokowere since the early 1990s was a result of political patronage. The false sense of security that the local political and administrative leadership provided to the Munyokowere villagers became an instrument for regulating access to communal land, and also determined the granting of rights. 

This was done in the narrative of procuring and maintaining political support in the Middle Sabi.

“The government has to understand and interpret their laws in the context that the control of land is vested in an ancestry group and access is determined by social identity. This particular defines our social identity as a people and we cannot be denied that identity.” Headman Munyokowere is quoted as saying. He is one of the 750 villagers served with a notice to vacate the land. Headman Munyokowere bemoaned the fact that the government since the period of their resettlement failed to ensure that customary land rights are protected. 

Traditional Leaders in Chipinge to Work closely with a local CBO to Ensure Gender Equality

On 23 April 2019, the Platform for Youth Development Trust, a local community-based organization held an interface meeting with traditional leaders in Muumbe village. The meeting was to seek an understanding of the role that women play in customary courts. Headman Zamchiya and 14 other traditional leaders attended the interface meeting at Muumbe Primary School. The purpose of the interface meeting was to interrogate the role of customary law and institutions of traditional leadership can play in addressing gender disparity within the community.

Traditional leaders have legitimacy on customary norms and values in the community and PYD engaged them because they play an important role in tackling social issues that include gender equality, sexual violence and harmful practices at a sub – national level. Their main function includes maintaining peace and harmony within the rural communities, hence the need to have an interface meeting with the traditional leaders in Muumbe village. 

The traditional leaders expressed their intention to work with PYD in addressing gender-based violence, promote gender equality and reduce teen pregnancy and child marriages in the district. PYD in turn asked the traditional leaders to redefine their traditional roles to include playing a greater protection role for girls and women in the community

“We have seen various organizations that come into our communities with information on gender equality and different legislation that promote gender equality. These organizations come and leave us to process the information on our own. However, today we are happy because an organization from our own community is engaging us with a view to transform our community. We embrace PYD and promise to work with you to ensure gender equality.” Reiterated Headman Zamchiya in his opening remarks. “Let us travel this journey together and see where it gets us” He added

Community court systems are principally based on the customs and practices of communities, thus allowing traditional leaders to be makers and custodians of tradition, culture and related rites. PYD notes with great satisfaction the fact that community courts are officially recognized in the Constitution and in various statutes of the country.

Customary Law and Local Courts Act (Chapter 7:05) Section 12 (1) states that; The person presiding over a local court shall exercise all the jurisdiction and powers of the court but, in the hearing of every case, shall be assisted by not fewer than two and not more than five assessors who shall be chosen by him from a list of persons prepared by him and approved by a designated officer.

It becomes imperative to ascertain the number of women selected as assessors by the “person presiding over a local court” as most cases have a bearing on girls and women. Since the system of justice usually follows customary law or an uncodified body of rules of behavior, it would not pose much difficulty to women to play a critical role in the traditional court system. The traditional court system has the potential to address some of the constraints to women’s economic, political, and social empowerment that exist in the community. 

“PYD is an organization that strongly believe in engagement with duty bearers and community leaders so that they promote positive actions addressing violence against women within their communities, and this interface meeting with traditional is ample proof of that engagement process.” Cynthia Gwenzi, PYD Gender and Advocacy Officer said. “The expectation was that this strategy would improve levels of awareness and give voice to women within the customary court set up and I believe we met that expectation.”

Chipinge District Remember Cyclone Idai Victims at a Community Prayer Meeting.

On the weekend of 15 – 17 March 2019, both Chimanimani and Chipinge districts suffered multiple destruction from Cyclone Idai with survivors needing shelter, water, food, medication and blankets. There was massive death and destruction of property and infrastructure in the two districts. However, on 20 April 2019, Platform for Youth Development (PYD) held a community prayer meeting at Checheche growth point in remembrance of Cyclone Idai victims. The prayer meeting was focused on restoring and maintaining hope in the affected communities, at the same time allay the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. 

“We carry strong sentiments and beliefs about our relatives and friends who fell victims to the devastating Cyclone Idai, and as the Ndau people we were raised to love, serve, and honour our fellow people no matter what the situation. Cyclone Idai destroyed families, individual lives as well as our community fabric.” Claris Madhuku told the gathering. 

“The clean-up campaign and the prayer meeting is a symbol of hope as we recover from the Cyclone Idai disaster. As a Christian clergy, we are to play an important role in identifying individuals with challenges in facing with the reality of the Cyclone Idai disaster and we are prepared to offer support to the victims.” Added Rev Joseph Mugidheya of the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ). 

The prayer meeting was a collaboration between PYD and religious leaders in Chipinge district as a collective effort to provide both material and emotional/spiritual support to Cyclone Idai victims. PYD strongly believed that the community prayer meeting was a strategy for reducing the victim of Cyclone Idai’s trauma. Survivors of a devastating phenomenon of the stature of the Cyclone Idai usually feel guilty about loved ones who lost their lives and property lost. Thus, a community prayer meeting helped by reducing survivors’ guilt and increasing their hope for future life.  In PTSD, the acceptance of a spiritual power normally leads to a spiritual awakening which, in turn, can assuage survivor guilt. From the speeches and prayer outline that was conducted during the meeting, it became evidently clear that the survivors of Cyclone Idai had found refugee in the community safety net and empathy. 

“For those of us who were left suffering after the disaster, the prayer meeting is the first step in giving us the strength and hope to carry on living.” Said Mrs. Irene Kaitu (56 years), one of the Cyclone Idai survivors

Cynthia Gwenzi, PYD Gender and Advocacy Officer stated that the Cyclone Idai had a gender perspective in its trail of disasters. “Women feel powerless in decision– making process. Powerlessness in decision - making increase their social and psychological vulnerabilities and women are at risk of falling into deeper poverty post Cyclone Idai.” She said.

The meeting was well attended by both the Christian community and other civic leaders within the Chipinge district. The community applauded PYD for taking the initiative to remember the victims of Cyclone Idai as well as invoking a collective effort in offering spiritual and moral support to the survivors. 

Independence Day Statement: Zimbabwe at 39, embracing devolution for vision 2030.

Chipinge: Platform for Youth Development Trust (PYD) joins the rest of the nation in celebrating 39 years of independence. As a community-based organization that is grounded and socially embedded, we are compelled to use this day to appeal to Zimbabweans and mostly the young people to put pressure on the government to open up spaces and opportunities where it becomes possible for Zimbabweans to enjoy the benefits of the freedom brought about by independence. 

Zimbabwe is celebrating majority rule after having gone through the agony of a white minority rule that was predominantly racist and brutal. The majority came through a protracted war of liberation that had so many phases of struggle. This year’s Independence Day is being celebrated under the theme; “Zimbabwe at 39, embracing devolution for vision 2030.”

PYD notes with great interest the 2019 Independence Day theme as it resonates well with section 264 of the Zimbabwean Constitution Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013. Through this section, the local authorities will have legal status that it lacked in the erstwhile centralized system due to the fact that it is now governed through a Constitutional provision as opposed to a mere statute. 

PYD is in support of devolution as it gives greater attention to rural communities’ participation in socio - economic policy formulation and implementation. At the same time, it allows the local authorities to promote transparency and accountability in governance and decision-making as well as management of local resources.

However, PYD bemoans the fact that real power is still to be transferred to local authorities, despite the fact that the aims of local authorities are to create participatory and democratically elected structures that identify need and ensure provision of services. 

Thus, local authorities were never an independent sphere of community development as they constantly face administrative, political controls and oversight by central government. Again, they were being used as a way to entrench Zanu PF’s hegemony and enhanced politicians’ stranglehold over the local communities. This rendered local authorities ineffective since their operations were not supported by the constitution for them to operate independently. This made Zimbabweans to experience nominal decentralization and token participatory exercises by ordinary people in which their contribution was overplayed by the partisan interests of the ruling party.

PYD believes that it will be progressive if this anomaly is addressed as the nation embraces devolution.

As a community – based organization, PYD welcomes the statements spoken by President Mnangagwa with a pinch of salt where he has promised to defend Zimbabwe as a constitutional democracy that will respect the provisions on devolution. We are hoping that the current government will walk the talk and see it feasible to have the real transfer of administrative, political and fiscal powers to the local authorities for devolution to have a transformational effect on our rural communities. 

PYD urges President E. D Mnangwagwa and his administration to come up with clear timeframes in the implementation of section 264, as the lack of timeframes heavily undermines the provision on devolution.

As an acknowledgement on the importance of the Independence Day, the Platform for Youth Development will partner the church fraternity for a cleanup campaign and prayer meeting in Checheche.The cleanup campaign and prayer meeting will help to express our solidarity with the victims of Cyclone Idai that ravaged villagers in Zimbabwe mostly in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts. This will be our opportunity to remind our young people the values and ethos of independence as well as the importance of decentralization of administrative and economic power.