The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
THREE Marange cousins are in a heated land inheritance wrangle that has found its way to Mutare Civil Court.
The three, William Chikosi, Gilbert Washe and Bernard Washe appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Xavier Chipato last week on Thursday where Chikosi was applying for a protection order against his cousins.
In his application, Chikosi told the court that the two burnt down his homestead, demanding that he vacates it.
The duo claims that they inherited the land from their aunt in 1978 before her death.
Chikoso accused the two of assaulting, insulting and threatening to kill him if he does not vacate the land.
Chikosi, however, claims that the land belongs to him as he also inherited it from the same aunt after her death.
“The matter is pending before Chief Marange’s court, but I am praying for peace until its finalisation. I am now living in fear because they razed down my houses. I now fear for my life as they have been threatening to harm me on countless occasions,” he said.
Chikosi took the matter to Chief Marange’s court after the headman’s court had ordered him to vacate the land.
“Your Worship, I was advised by lawyers that a headman does not have jurisdiction over land issues. He can only deal with boundary issues and that is what I have been trying to tell them all along. They, however, remain adamant that I should vacate my homestead because the headman ruled that I should do so by April 30. The matter is pending before Chief Marange and the magistrates’ court,” said Chikosi.
In his defence, Gilbert said the land was allocated to their aunt who parcelled it to him following her marriage.
William’s mother and the late aunt, and Bernard’s father were siblings.
“My aunt was allocated the land despite being a daughter because she wanted to operate a grinding mill there. However, after her marriage, she had to leave the area and left everything to me as her beloved nephew. I was occupying that piece of land until in 2000 when I left to work in South Africa. I left my wife and children at my homestead, but they were chased away by my uncle, (Chikosi’s father) who claimed that he was the rightful heir to his sister’s estate. He said the land belonged to the Chikosis and should remain in the Chikosi family,” he said.
He said his family had to stay with his father until he came back from South Africa last year.
“Now that I am back, I want my land back. That land was gifted to me by my late aunt. They are just jealousy because the land is fertile,” he said.
The brothers further denied ever breaching Chikosi’s peace, stating that they suspected that Chikosi had burnt down his own house so that he could frame and have them arrested.
“He just wants to frame us to buttress his case pending before the courts. We never threatened to kill him. We are using the proper channels to have this issue solved. The matter is pending before Chief Marange’s court after he appealed against the headman’s judgement,” said Bernard.
He also said he was visually impaired and could not assault someone he could not see.
“I am blind and have been bedridden for some time. How would I torch his huts or assault him as he is alleging?” asked the man.
Mr Chipato granted a binding over peace order to the three cousins, stating that their situation warranted one as land disputes create enmity between relatives.
“All parties are to keep peace with each other at all times. The order will be valid for one year,” he said.
