Villagers in Chimanimani are protesting the ongoing parceling out of the land as residential stands at the Kopa business centre which was declared a non-safe habitat area for human beings after it was devastated by Cyclone Idai four years back.
Cyclone Idai claimed about 300 lives, more than 325 people were reported missing, and approximately 4,000 people were displaced majority of which were from the Kopa area.
It was against this background that the government made a decision to officially condemn the area for human settlement.
However, speaking at a TaCCET workshop held in Mutare recently, villagers from Chimanimani said they are saddened by the move of the Rural District Council in parceling out land at Kopa business centre.
Ntombizodwa Chaibva, who hails from the Kopa business centre, said the community was shocked to see people from other areas coming to start building houses at the affected area.
“If you come to Kopa business area right now, you will see that there are houses that are being built all over. It is shocking because we all know that the area was condemned. It was openly said by the government that the area is condemned for any human settlement.”
“However, there are people building houses there as we speak. Our fear is that this is against climate justice because if the same cyclone comes back, we will again be plunged into a crisis where we will lose lives unnecessarily,” she said.
Chaibva also revealed that while the environmental laws prohibit the development of houses along riverbeds, this is exactly what is happening in Chimanimani.
“If you come to Mahode River, you will see that people are building houses along that riverbed. That is again wrong, and we feel as a community that we need justice on that matter,” she said.