UMA- People of Muriel Mine are crying foul over the interference of Chief Katizagombo in Muriel Mine Primary and Muriel Mine High School matters. During an SDC meeting held on the 6th of March 2017 at Muriel Mine High the chief pointed out that all fees defaulters will be dragged to his court where he charges $30 for an appearance despite being the defendant if they fail to pay at least $10 by the 20th of March 2017. He echoed the same sentiments during a meeting at Muriel Mine Primary on the 9th of March 2017. When the majority of Zimbabwean rural population is living in abject poverty, a traditional leader has a clean conscience charging such high court charges and making such threats to suffering people.
Muriel Mine is a gold mining community, the mine used to be owned by LONRHO before closure in the year 2000. The mine was reopened by Pan African Mining in 2001 and latter sold to Minister Gapare under the 49/51 indigenization policy. Since the coming of Gapare the mine employees have not known full pay and at times go for months without pay. Most residents in Muriel Mine are living on food aid from the Ministry of Welfare. It was a known tradition in mines that education was not regarded as important since all school leavers and drop outs would be employed in the mines. To a people that are just emerging from such an era of darkness where education was not regarded as important, making such threats and demands would impact heavily on the children. If too much pressure is exerted on these poor parents the only option left will be to drop their children off school, a scenario that would not be healthy. The surrounding farms are former white commercial farmers farms, people in these farms have been reduced to casual labourers who are seasonally employed at times for no pay. They have no option but to work even for nothing lest they risk being evicted from the only homes they have known for nearly two decades. Such farm people can only get money to pay for fees after harvests, stipulating an earlier payment date would just be inhuman to the poor parents.
"I will just take my children off school rather than getting summoned by the chief and get charged such large amounts when I'm struggling to even provide sadza for my family!" said a bitter parent who declined to be named for fear of victimisation.
The people of the area are living under a harsh traditional ruler who finds pleasure in threatening and siphoning money from people who live on less than a dollar per day. Such chiefs take advantage of the vulnerability and ignorance of many of the rural people. During our workshops in Mt Darwin and Muzarabani we enlightened such disadvantaged people of their rights as enshrined by the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Farmers used to enjoy farming in this fertile area but it is no longer the case since there is now too much interference from the chief. A tobacco farmer complained of being fined for reaping his tobacco on a Thursday which the chief declared a traditional day of rest (chisi). When the government is placing so much importance on agribusiness then where do such primitive laws emanate from? The chief is one of many chiefs that have been installed recently for political purposes and he takes pride in being partisan threatening anyone who supports opposition politics with eviction.
"Kurima kwacho kwakutonetsa nekuti mimwe mitemo yave kutibata yaifanirwa kunge ichibata vanhu vari kumaruzevha vasingatore kurima sebasa" ( Farming is becoming impossible due to some laws that are being introduced, such laws should apply to former reserves peasant subsistence farmers not us agribusiness people) complained another farmer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Such is the daily life of rural Zimbabweans, telling their stories is just a hope that one day they will find a hearing ear.
Tell us your stories and we will let the world hear your plights.
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Written by Umthunzi Mumvuri Trust
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