EMA has confirmed working to evict Chrispen Mudzumwe from Chirumba Wetland

Bikita Ward 9 Councillor Surprise Pembere has accused a village head in his ward of selling a piece of a protected wetland in Takawira village to a businessman who molds farm bricks and extract pit sand for sale, EnviroPress has been informed.

The councilor criticized Dambwa Takawira for parceling the piece of wetland to Chrispen Mudzumwe thereby exposing the environment to severe degradation.

Cllr Pembere told EnviroPress that the land was being exploited for commercial activities in an unsustainable manner.

“The reason that was initially provided for the move was that the beneficiary wanted to build his home. However, it has turned out that he is just exploiting clay to mold bricks while extracting pit sand for sale to businesses at Nyika Growth Point. There is no indication of any residential development but just gullies and heaps of sand,” Cllr Pembere said.

He said he previously reported the abuse to the District Development Coordinator (DDC) who instructed the village head to reverse his decision, with the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) currently working to evict Mudzumwe.

“Those harmful activities are being carried out less than 200 metres from the water source, and we fully understand the consequences that will follow if not action is done,” he said.

When contacted for comment, Takawira rejected the idea that the area was a wetland, but admitted that significant environmental damage had occurred as a result of his actions.

“I recently passed through the area and I agree with the councilor that there is serious environmental damage. Even the weir dam downstream has been destroyed but the place itself is not a wetland. I only allocated him a piece of land close to the Chirumba wetland, but not on the wetland itself,
said Takawira.

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He said activities on the land had helped to improve security around the place which had become a hotspot of robberies and rape.

“I did it to address security concerns as many robberies and rape had been committed from that secluded place. I reasoned that occupation of the land would help improve safety,” he said.

On his part, Mudzumwe claimed that his business was sustainable, and that he was actually helping to protect the land from other sand poachers.

“I bought that land to develop my home. The bricks being referred to have been lying there for more than three years and they are not mine. I am evening protecting the wetland because there are poachers who come to dig for pit sand when I am not around,” said Mudzumwe.

Masvingo Provincial EMA Environmental Education and Publicity Officer, Munyaradzi Mtisi confirmed they were working to evict Mudzumwe.

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“In November 2024 the Agency received a complaint about the illegal allocation of land at Chirumba wetland in Bikita. EMA conducted an inspection on the wetland and discovered that the wetland had already been fenced and construction was taking place.

“The Agency responded promptly by issuing the village head a ticket and an environmental protection order to reverse the illegal allocation of land on the wetland. The Agency also opened a docket against the wetland occupant, which, if successful, would lead to the eviction of the illegal wetland occupant,” said Mtisi.