By Rex Mphisa
DOZENS of people who built homes after getting illegally parcelled out land at the site of the proposed Beitbridge Airport near Lutumba will lose their homes while those who sold them land face arrest.
Dozens of people from Beitbridge are building homes at the land where in 2017 government announced the same was reserved for that purpose.
Only 47 homes were on the land then but now more than 150 homes have been built and more are sprouting out and believed products of two self-imposed kraal heads.
Yesterday a delegation of local government officials led by Matabeleland South Minister for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe toured the site and said many people should be ready to destroy their illegally built homes.
He asked Beitbridge District Development Coordinator Sikhangezile Mafu and the Beitbridge Rural District Council (BBRDC) to act and not refer matters to other people.
“Your initial list had 47 homes and that is what we should have. Those who came after the announcement of airport construction should not expect compensation. The DDC and BBRDC must work with local chiefs and remove these people. No new houses must be built,” said Nguluvhe.
The Government may not have money now buy our discussions of the Limpopo Corridor with South Africa place the airport here so its building is imminent. We will only recognise the 47 listed when the announcement was made,” said Nguluvhe,.
He, together with his delegation came face to face with builders in the process of erecting a house on the site of the airport, just a kilometre and half from Lutumba Business Centre and stretching five kilometres southwards with a width of two kilometres.
“We have agreed with our Limpopo Trans Frontier Development unit to have an airport at Beitbridge where people will land before driving further inland.”
The airport is part of an export processing zone in Musina and Beitbridge.
Nguluvhe later toured Mutshilashokwe River Bridge destroyed by floods where he asked the BBRDC and department of roads to seek partners help the economically important bridge linking Tuli Coal Mine, Nottingham Citrus Estates and Shashi Orange plots with Beitbridge.
Immediately, he said, there was need to rehabilitate an existing bridge where both embankments were torn off by floods.
“We have Chinese partners that have pledged to assist, let’s put down what we have, put our bills of quantities to see what we can contribute. We need these roads for economic development, ” he said.