TWO Nyamandlovu village heads yesterday appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Maxwell Ncube facing a charge of unlawfully allocating 38 stands to homeseekers.
Chikombingo Moses Nyamande (84) and village development committee member Danisa Nyathi (59) were not asked to plead before being remanded to March 21 for trial.
Nyathi and Nyamande are resettled farmers on gazetted State land.
According to court papers, from January 21 last year, Nyamande and Nyathi allegedly allocated stands to 38 villagers without State authority. The villagers moved onto the land and constructed structures.
On January 22, police received a tip-off that the duo were illegally parcelling out State land and visited the area where they discovered that 38 illegal settlers had already built housing structures.
The accused failed to produce documentation authorising the settlers to occupy the land in question leading to their arrest.
Police in Matabeleland North province recently arrested 155 land barons and illegal settlers in Umguza, Bubi, Lupane and Hwange.
Source Southern eye
