46 Evicted ‘Caledonia Farm Squatters’ & 30 Minors Spend Two Nights In Police cells

A TOTAL of 46 squatters from Caledonia arrested Monday together with their 30 minor children were Wednesday hauled before Harare magistrates courts for defying a court order.

The desperate residents spent Monday and Tuesday nights in the police cells with their children most of whom are toddlers below one year old.

They were arrested for refusing to vacate Lot 1 premise as per court order availed to them on September 12.

They were charged with contempt of court and were not asked to plead.

Magistrate Elijah Makomo released the crowd on $50 bail and remanded the case to October 14.

Court business came to a standstill when the crowd arrived at courts ground and commotion ensued to the moment the alleged offenders were finally settled in court with the toddlers tied to their mother’s backs wailing all the way.

Some children were walking on their own visibly confused as they clung on to clothes and hands of their mothers in court.

The court room had to be cleared to accommodate the land invaders and their sympathisers who had to peep through the door to listen to court’s proceedings.

Idah Maromo was leading the state.

She told the court that the complainant in this case is Paddy Zhanda, the Agriculture and Mechanisation deputy minister in charge of livestock.

The court heard that he is the lawful owner of the land in question.

Maromo said on September 12 this year the deputy sheriff lawfully evicted the 46 accused persons.

However, after being evicted, the squatters went back and occupied the land and started building structures.

The matter was reported leading to their arrest. source -newzimbabwe

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