Zimbabwe advocates denounce evictions in Masvingo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on 263chat
Human rights advocates are calling for urgent measures to protect communities threatened with eviction from their ancestral lands in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. A report by the Masvingo Centre for Research and Advocacy, published after an online discussion, calls for land rights to be defended and transparent, inclusive governance to be guaranteed.
Human rights advocates have called for the protection of communities threatened with eviction from their ancestral lands in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. They made the appeal during an online debate organised the previous week by the Masvingo Centre for Research and Advocacy (MACRAD), according to a report published by the organisation.
Participants denounced evictions linked to commercial agriculture, infrastructure and other development projects. They called for land decisions to respect the Zimbabwean Constitution and the rights of the communities concerned, and for the social and economic consequences of projects to be assessed before they are implemented.
The report also stresses the need for genuine consultation with residents, who must be able to influence decisions concerning their land and consider alternatives to relocation. Participants included Nyasha Machirori, of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, activist Tendai Reuben Mbofana, Ephraim Mtombeni, of MACRAD, and Francis Mukora, of the Community Alliance for Human Settlements.
