The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Correspondent
A NYANGA farmer stands accused of trying to enrich himself by demanding 12 tonnes of maize from his neighbors after their cattle strayed onto his one-hectare piece of land and destroyed his crop.
Earnest Nyamutenha approached acting Chief Saunyama’s court as he asked his neighbors – Venencia Nyabako, Beata Matsunda, Oscar Nyagadza and Mapipi Matsungwa – to hand over the maize to him.
Nyamutenha told the court that sometime in February, he found about 60 stray cattle grazing on his maize crop.
“They destroyed all the crops. Since I did not know the owners of the cattle, I locked them in my kraal knowing that the owners would come looking for them.
“When they did, I realised that they were the same people whose cattle had also destroyed my crops during the last farming season. I forgave them last time but this time they have to pay. They are not learning from their mistakes,” he said.
Nyamutenha said although he usually harvests a tonne of maize from his one-hectare plot, the 12 tonnes compensation would deter his neighbors from allowing their cattle to roam around freely.
However, the neighbors argued that the punishment was outrageous.
“For me to raise the maize he wants; I have to sell some of my cattle. We made a mistake by leaving the cattle unattended, but our neighbor should not be too harsh on us,” said Matsunda.
She begged for acting Chief Saunyama’s intervention.
Nyabako said Nyamutenha was going around the village bragging that he would hire a haulage truck to ferry the maize he would get as compensation from his neighbors and deliver it to the Grain Marketing Board.
“He knows what he is doing is wrong, but he just wants to fix us. He claims that he will make a lot of money after delivering the maize to GMB. Our major challenge is that we do not have the maize he is demanding,” she said.
Acting Chief Saunyama castigated Nyamutenha for demanding 12 tonnes of maize as compensation.
He said the farmers will each compensate Nyamutenha with a 50kg bag of maize.
“Demanding 12 tonnes from these poor farmers does not make sense. It is a get rich quick scheme. You are liable for extortion even though your neighbors wronged you.
“You have never harvested 12 tonnes from your piece of land, but you want to punish your neighbors like that. You were not going to harvest a tonne of maize from your field this year considering the poor rains received. You should learn to co-exist with your neighbors,” ruled Chief Saunyama.
He also ordered the cattle owners to secure their animals and ensure they do not stray to other people’s fields.
