By Letwin Ncube
A Budiriro 5 resident is reportedly receiving death threats from Ward 43 councillor after mobilising other residents to remove land barons in the area.
The development comes after Henry Chimbiri organised a meeting with other residents in a bid to chase away alleged land barons.
Chimbiri has since lodged a report with Budiriro 2 police under CR-469/04/19 and the councillor Norman Makondo has also been summoned to the police to help police with investigations.
“I am a resident in the area and I addressed a meeting concerning land barons in our area.
“The meeting was held on April 26, 27, 28 and 29 and present was the Member of Parliament Costa Machingauta, officials from the Harare Wetlands Trust, Water Alliance Trust and the residents.
“After the meeting, I started receiving death threats from Makondo.
“The night after the last day of the meeting, people came to my house around 2am and smashed my car.
“That is when I knew that my life was now in danger which made me report the case to Budiriro police station.
“We were able to stop the land barons after the meeting and I will not stop fighting for our area even if they threaten me,” he said.
Added Chimbiri:
“We had a meeting with the District Officer, the land barons and the Member of Parliament but the councillor refused to come before he went on to tell people that the meeting was cancelled and that I was chased away,” he said.
Councillor Makondo said the alleged threats were responses to what Chimbiri had posted to him.
“I did not pose any threats on him but what I did was responding to what he started.
“I think he is having problems because he is saying things that are not true at all. I was even summoned at the police station where he reported the case.
“He is having an issue with me because I refused to chase away a legal owner of a stand he wanted to buy but failed since he did not have the money,” said the councillor. H-Metro