Speaking at a provincial stakeholders' meeting, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, declared a zero-tolerance policy against illegal land allocations, directing law enforcement agencies to intensify arrests and prosecutions of traditional leaders, middlemen and public officials implicated in unlawful land transactions.
"There is zero tolerance for corruption," Mugadza said, ordering the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to enforce existing laws and protect environmentally sensitive areas such as wetlands, riverbanks and forests.
Traditional leaders warned
The minister stressed that under Zimbabwe's Communal Land Act, traditional leaders are custodians—not owners—of communal land and have no legal authority to sell or permanently allocate State land.
He warned that citizens who purchase land outside official government channels risk losing both their money and their homes.
"An offer letter or title deed must be processed through ministry offices," Mugadza said. "Citizens who bypass lawful channels expose themselves to eviction without compensation."
Illegal settlements spreading
According to provincial authorities, 130 of Manicaland's 3,125 villages have been affected by illegal land sales.
The worst-hit districts include:
Buhera – 44 affected villages
Makoni – 26 villages
Mutare – 20 villages
Officials say illegal settlements have expanded around fast-growing centres including Murambinda, Burma Valley, Chigodora, Birchenough Bridge, Chitakatira, Watsomba, Nhedziwa and Chimanimani.
In Chimanimani, some illegal settlements have reportedly encroached onto commercial timber plantations, while in Makoni, leadership disputes among traditional chiefs allegedly created opportunities for unauthorized land sales.
Environmental and infrastructure concerns
Authorities say many illegally allocated settlements have been established on wetlands, mountains, riverbanks and other environmentally sensitive areas without planning approval or environmental impact assessments.
As a result, many communities lack essential infrastructure such as roads, clean water, sewer systems, schools and health facilities, creating long-term planning and financial challenges for local authorities.
Arrests already underway
The crackdown follows several recent convictions involving illegal land sales.
Officials cited the conviction of village heads in Dema earlier this year, while a 51-year-old man from Nyadongo Village under Chief Zimunya was recently sentenced to six months in prison for unlawfully selling communal land.
The government says land barons have contributed to billions of dollars in losses through unregulated development and has instructed all provinces to identify and address illegal settlements.
Local authorities urged to act
Provincial Secretary Abbiot Maronge praised Mutare City Council, Chipinge Town Council and Rusape Town Council for preventing illegal land allocations within their jurisdictions, urging rural district councils to strengthen planning and enforce master plans.
Authorities have also warned councillors and local government officials against attempting to regularize illegal settlements without proper legal authority and ministerial approval, saying offenders will face disciplinary and criminal action.
The government says the crackdown is intended to restore orderly development, protect communal land and ensure all future land allocations are conducted through legal procedures.
Meanwhile, thousands of families who acquired land through unauthorized village head transactions now face an uncertain future as enforcement efforts intensify across Manicaland.
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