HARARE - Twenty evicted families at Mara Farm in Goromonzi South constituency have appealed to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to intervene in their dilemma after being evicted from farm houses by their former employer Edward Dube.

The homeless farm workers are living in the open at the height of the rainy season as police are denying them entry into the farm to collect their belongings.

Greenbate Dongo MP of Goromonzi South, said the workers had asked him to seek the PM’s help in addressing their plight.

“The farm workers have approached me as their legislator to seek intervention of the Premier, and minister of Labour and Social Welfare Paurina Mpariwa, because Dube has proven to be rude and is not co-operating with me,” Dongo said.

“I have asked him that we should meet and discuss the plight of the workers and find ways to help these farm workers and is reluctant to do so. So maybe if I appeal to the PM to help resolve the matter, we can see action, as we are also seeking food and blankets for these workers to stop living in the rain.”

Dube, the farm owner defended the eviction of 20 families from the farm just outside Epworth claiming they no longer worked for him and he had obtained a court order to kick them out.

Dube, who is in dairy farming, said the families stayed at his property after he advised them to leave. He also claimed the families remained defiant even after he showed them an eviction order.

The families are living near Mashingaidze Farm in plastic shacks and are in need of food, blankets, clean water and proper ablution facilities.