PICTURE: The remains of Mr Makuyana’s 20-year-old wood cabin after the Messenger of Court evicted Makuyana’s family from Stand 1897 Gaza O in Chipinge.
AN eviction exercise effected on 18 August this year on a Chipinge urban family has shocked residents in the eastern town. Luke Makuyana of stand number 1897 Gaza O suburb was evicted by the Messenger of Court from a stand measuring 1800 square metres following a recent court order.
According to his neighbours, Makuyana and his family have been staying at the property for close to 20 years. Upon his wife’s death in 2010, Mr Makuyana is said to have announced to his neighbours that he was leaving the estate in his son, Witness Makuyana’s care since the father was going to Mozambique. Witness was still a juvenile doing Grade 5 at Matione Primary School in the town.
The neighbours were surprised when they realised that a Mr Z. Musikavanhu of stand 2115 Gaza O was claiming ownership of the property last year soon after Witness had headed for South Africa after dropping out of secondary school.
Mrs Betty Sithole who produced bills that bear Makuyana’s name and account numbers as follows: water - 86881133N, town council - 730189700 and electricity – 900414654501 wondered how the town council was billing Makuyana for a stand that doesn’t belong to him.
Another neighbour Mr Zachariah Mafuka said: “If Mr Musikavanhu was serious about his stand, why was he quiet all these past years and let Makuyana develop services like electricity and water on the stand?”
One resident who preferred to remain anonymous said: “Musikavanhu is aware of Mr Makuyana’s estate transfer and has manipulated the situation. We are waiting to see how he shall live with us socially.”
When this paper sought Mr Musikavanhu’s audience, a relative of his who requested to remain anonymous produced documents in Mr Musikavanhu’s favour. Copies of Memorandum of Agreement between Musikavanhu and Ministry of Local Government and National Housing on the stand sale signed on 06 January 1997 and a house plan approved on 08 January 1999 were presented in addition to court ruling papers.
Said the relative: “It is unfortunate that a lot of fingers have been pointed at Mr Musikavanhu as trying to steal from Mr Makuyana. It’s Makuyana who has been uncooperative all these year prompting my akin to take the matter to court.”
When contacted for a comment, the Town secretary for Chipinge Town Council Miss S. Dube confirmed the conflict saying the property might have been affected by a possible double allocation.
Said Miss Dube: “Our council inherited an issue that should have been resolved long back. Chipinge Town Council was formed in 2003 after the two had already been allocated the stand in 1997 by the Ministry of Local Government and National Housing. Since our stand verification exercise in 2014 Makuyana hasn’t come to present his Memorandum of Agreement as he is said to be out of the country.”