TURNER farm residents in Mt Hampden, who are facing displacement to pave way for the development of the new multi-million-dollar Zim Cyber City project, 26 kilometres northwest of Harare, are appealing to the government to provide a clear timeline for their relocation.
The displacement will affect thousands of residents, but the affected persons say the uncertainty is hindering them from making long-term plans.
The cyber city, estimated to cost around US$60 billion when complete, will be part of Zimbabwe's proposed new administrative capital, also known as New Harare.
As a precursor to the evictions, the government unilaterally exhumed about 1 000 graves between June and August last year, to pave way for the project.
The cyber city is being developed by United Arab Emirates-based industrial conglomerate Mulk International, which has injected an initial US$500 million.
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An investigation conducted by NewZimbabwe.com, in conjunction with Information for Development Trust last year, revealed the community was in panic and fear as it faced eviction, relocation uncertainty, and job losses.
The residents, many of whom have lived in the area for decades have nowhere else to go.
Tamira Rufaso (40) said she and other residents were anxious because they do not know what lies ahead for them.
"We are just hanging, waiting for something to happen, we are living on the edge," she said.
The Ministry of Local Government last year told this publication that affected residents would be moved by mid-2025 and that the government would find them a place to settle.
Residents however say they have not been formally informed of the relocation.
Cosmas Mandipwanya, who has been living in Mt Hampden since 1994, pleaded with the government to communicate its position.
"We are pleading with the government to at least give us enough information. They should give us the timelines so that we know when we are leaving and where we are going so that we can plan using the government's calendar," he said.
"Right now, I cannot even do a six-month or one-year project because we are scared that anytime we may be evicted.
"Kungonzwa mota ichiuya wakutofunga kuti wavingwa kuzodzingwa (each time you see a vehicle approaching, you think they have come to evict you)," he said.
Another resident, Amos Basi (48), said residents can't plan.
"We are waiting to hear from the government. We have children to provide for, and right now we cannot even plan for the future. We can't even do our small projects like chicken rearing or gardens" Basi said.
Residents also said they were anxious about the impact the evictions would have on their children's education.
"I have grandchildren in exam classes, some in primary school and another one in secondary school, and I am scared that we may get evicted before they write exams. If that happens, what will I do with them? Where will they go and learn?
Ephraim Kurushiwe (62), who has called Mt Hampden home since 1997, said his biggest fear is the risk of being homeless at an old age.
"I am asking the government to give us accommodation when they move us," he said.
Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwa's spokesperson, George Charamba, dismissed the residents' plight on one of his X handle in November last year.
"Some stories hadzina mushumo, (are useless). Imagine a story featuring one seemingly distressed farm laborer standing in front of some dingy tenement of one room, all against a headline which says, thousands in distress from displacement by proposed Cyber City!
"The solution implied in the article is that the Cyber City, which, like all cities, will house millions, has to wait for the sake of this wretch and his equally wretched tenement.
"Tinombofungawo here tisati tanyora zvinyaya zvedu, nhai vanyori nevapepeti venhau (do you think before writing your stories) or we just believe in obstructive journalism, however stupid and futile?" Charamba wrote.
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Efforts to get a comment from the local government ministry were fruitless. The ministry's spokesperson Gabriel Masvora kept saying he was looking for the information.
Most of the affected residents have no other place to go, as they are mainly children of deceased farm workers originally from Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia, with some from Zimbabwe.
Between the early 1900s and the mid-1960s, a significant number of people migrated from Malawi (then known as Nyasaland) to Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) for various reasons, including the pursuit of higher-paying jobs.
Nyasaland, like Zimbabwe, was a British colony but was more densely populated and less economically developed. This economic disparity prompted many to move in search of better employment opportunities.
During the same era, Zimbabwe also drew labourers from Mozambique and Zambia.
