Over 3 700 land barons arrested

Over 3 700 suspected land barons and squatters have been arrested with 985 convictions in the courts , while 3 360 cases are pending trial since January as the Government clamps down on the proliferation of illegal settlements across the country.

This occurs concurrently with the government's declaration of war against all land barons, threatening to end their days of illegitimate land distribution.

Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the national police spokesperson, thanked the public in a statement released yesterday for contributing valuable information to support the current government operation "No To Land Barons and Illegal Settlements on Land in either rural or urban setups."

"As of February 12, 2024, 3 775 suspects had been taken into custody, 985 of them had been found guilty by the courts, and 3 360 cases were still awaiting trial. In Masvingo, notable arrests were made in the Tokwane-Ngundu Resettlement, where 28 suspects were found to be accounted for.

"Without permission from the Ministry of Land, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, the suspects had unlawfully settled on the grazing lands."

More than twenty land barons were detained in Mashonaland West and more than a hundred in Matabeleland South, according to Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.

"26 suspects were arrested by Karoi Police in Mashonaland West Province for occupying grazing lands and giving gazetted land to their relatives at Lazy Five Farm."

"Investigations revealed that the suspects were paying the plot holders $15 USD, or the equivalent in maize."123 individuals were taken into custody at the Enyandeni Resettlement Area in Gwanda, Matabeleland South. Without permission, the suspects established themselves on the gazetted territory.

"Thulani Nzima, 53, was detained in the Matabeleland North Province for unlawfully distributing land. He gave six residential stands in Siganda, Mbembeswana 1 Village, Nyamandlovu, to desperate home searchers in exchange for money.

"Investigations revealed that the beneficiaries gave the suspect R4,000 and $300,000."

Asst Comm Nyathi emphasized that before settling on any land or being forced to pay for any development or allocation, the people should confirm its status.

The public can report illegal activity by land barons at any nearby police station, the National Complaints Desk at (0242) 703631, or over WhatsApp at 0712 800 197, all of which are located in the same location.

The Mabelreign suburb of Harare is facing challenges from squatters and illegal land allocation of green ways, which are open spaces between housing blocks. Yesterday, Winston Chitando, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, held an all-stakeholder engagement meeting in Mabelreign, where land invasions have been occurring. Council officials are allegedly being victimized for attempting to demolish the illegal structures that are sprouting up.

 “You cannot occupy State land without the necessary approval,” he said.

He spoke with some of the inhabitants of Ward 16, which encompasses the Mabelreign neighborhood, together with high-ranking representatives from the City of Harare, led by Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume. Accompanying him was Dr. John Basera, Deputy Minister and Permanent Secretary of Local Government and Public Works.

We've learned that certain individuals are illegally occupying certain greenways without the necessary authorization.

Minister Chitando emphasized that anyone who engage in the illicit transfer of land, irrespective of their social rank or background, will be held accountable for their deeds.

The government's stance is that it is unlawful to divide State or municipal land for whatever reason; local planning authorities are the only ones with this authority. I want to be very clear about this.

Additionally, selling, leasing, or offering a lease with the option to buy State or Council land is prohibited for anybody not authorized by the Ministry or Council. To make sure that Mabelreign's greenways remain sane, all parties involved are urged to collaborate.

"Illegal land allocations in Mabelreign, including greenways and urban areas in general."

Additionally, Minister Chitando gave his Ministry and Council representatives instructions to complete the layout plan's creation. This plan incorporates the provisions of the Mabelreign Local Development Plan Number 20, which was adopted by the Harare City Council in October 2023.

Additionally, the minister cautioned naive citizens against buying infill stands by declaring that no property was being auctioned at the moment.

"To ensure that sanity is restored, I implore all stakeholders in the Harare Metropolitan Province to support the council. The ultimate goal is to make sure that Mabelreign is a smart city." As per Vision 2030, we wish for all cities to be smart cities.