By Farai Mabeza

CHIPINGE South 51-year-old grandmother and widow, Memory Zvinongoza Dube, was working in her field when hordes of police officers arrived in truck loads and immediately started beating up people indiscriminately.

Reeling from the blows from baton sticks, Dube who is living with HIV, realised that her clothes were restraining her from making a successful escape. She took them off and clad only in her undergarments, ran for dear life.

Dube is a member of the Chinyamukwakwa and Chisumbanje communities in Chipinge which are embroiled in a fierce land conflict with the Green Fuel Chisumbanje Ethanol Plant.

“I had no choice but to take off my clothes because that was the only way I could escape. I had to forget about my dignity because my life is more precious than my dignity,” Dube said recounting her story in front of the Chisumbanje Police Station Officer-in-Charge, chief inspector Noah Nyamuzinga, at a community meeting.

The highly-emotive meeting was organised by a local community-based organisation, Platform for Youth Development Trust (PYD), to help ease the tension between villagers on one hand and the police and the company on the other.

“I had no choice but to take off my clothes because that was the only way I could escape. I had to forget about my dignity because my life is more precious than my dignity,”

“She was only able to escape because she was naked. Such behavior by the police is unacceptable. Since this whole issue started in 2009, one of the most emotive issues has been the involvement of the police,” said PYD director, Claris Madhuku.

The villagers, many of whom suffered serious injuries, believe the police are on Green Fuel’s pay roll.

“The company even supplies the vehicles that the police use on their raids,” said Phineas Muyambo from Chinyamukwakwa.

Nyamuzinga, however, denied any knowledge of corrupt activities by his officers involving Green Fuel but Madhuku insists that there are eyewitness accounts of such goings-on.

“If you know of any corrupt activities, you should report them to my office,” Nyamuzinga told the villagers.

He did not question the stories of police heavy-handedness and abuse but offered to personally handle any complainants.

“The biggest problem is that of perception. The people are afraid of the police and the police are afraid of the people of Chinyamukwakwa.

“If anyone has a problem, they must come straight to my office,” he said while trying to reassure the villagers. These assurances, however, did not seem to have any impact.

“I was beaten up because when the police arrived I did not run like other people because I believed in the assurances we had been given in the past,” said Samson Mugovera, another victim of the police beatings. As sad as Dube’s story might sound, it mirrors the fear and desperation felt by many of her fellow community members.

Vaina Ndhlovu was detained in police cells with an untreated broken leg together with her two-year-old son, Prince Mabode.

“We only managed to go to hospital after three days and this was only after the intervention of the courts,” she said in an interview together with her husband at their home.

Ndhlovu and Mugovera ended up being referred to Mutare for treatment because of the severity of their injuries. She was treated at South Avenue Medical Centre. The plaster from her broken leg has now been removed but she still walks with great difficulty.

“For almost two months now, I have not been able to go and work in the fields leaving my husband to work by himself,” she said.

Her husband, Never Muyambo Chibode, is heartbroken and anguished by the way his wife was treated. “I feel great pain because of what the police did to my wife. She tried to flee but they had to chase her for a long distance. It hurts to see a woman treated that way,” Chibode said.

“If I knew any kind of witchcraft I would use it against them,” he says his voice choking with emotion. The threat to use witchcraft against both police officers and Green Fuel employees is one that is often repeated.

Due to financial limitations, Chibode feels the legal system cannot offer him recourse. “We don’t have the financial resources to pursue our case against the police. It’s too expensive and time consuming as well,” he says with resignation.

Madhuku, however, revealed that the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights was preparing to launch cases on behalf of the villagers against individual police officers. “We believe that some of them worked in their individual capacities in cahoots with company officials to torment villagers,” he said.

A bitter Mugovera vowed to resist any conciliatory moves from the police and the company because he does not think they are sincere.

“The land is ours. They use the police against us. Every year, they keep encroaching on our land. We have no relationship with the police. How can we have a relationship with people who are always harassing and beating us,” Mugovera said.

His medical records corroborate Ndhlovu’s story that they waited for three days before getting medical attention. According to the records Mugovera was diagnosed with a septic sore. A Harare medical practitioner who saw the records explained the diagnosis.

“It means he did not get medical treatment on time,” the medical practitioner said adding that all the records clearly showed that the injuries were caused by assault.

Thirty three-year-old Maxwell Mtisi’s medical record also revealed the assault by the police.

“Right leg painful and swollen. On examination — swollen tibia noted laceration with blood,” the records from Chinyamukwakwa Clinic say. Mugovera’s wife, Chipo Shiripinda, said she was verbally abused and mocked.

“They said to me ‘we hope you slept with your husband because that would be the last time you ever do it. Once we catch him, you will never see him again’,” she said struggling to contain her anger.

Green Fuel spokesperson Raphael Zuze said he could not comment because he was on leave. Madhuku accused the government of letting the people down. “The government has not done enough to clarify the boundary,” he says.

According to a report by the Portfolio Committee On Youth, Indigenisation And Economic Empowerment on the Green Fuel ethanol project in early 2008, Green Fuel represented by Macdom Investments, acquired the right to lease land measuring 5 112 hectares from ARDA. The land has since increased to 9, 375 ha and is under sugarcane.

“It is sad to note that the State has not shown any urgency to bring to order the people of Chisumbanje, but has shown more concern to support the business side of the Ethanol Proj ect,” the report presented to parliament by committee chairman, Justice Mayor Wadyajena, reads.

The portfolio committee recommended that the ARDA Board chairman, Basil Nyabadza, must clarify the issue of land ownership between ARDA, Green Fuel and the community.