President Mnangagwa issues stern warning to land barons, unscrupulous traditional leaders

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday warned individuals and groups who are fleecing desperate home seekers of their hard-earned cash throughout the country that his administration will not leave any stone unturned in stopping the illegal sale of state land.

He was speaking at the ceremony to commission some flats in Dzivarasekwa high-density suburb, where the government built four blocks with a capacity to accommodate 48 families in response to the natural disaster that struck some residents of Budiriro high-density suburb in 2021, when some houses were submerged and others swept away by floods.

“Further, my Government is stamping its authority on the scourge of land barons and will leave no stone unturned in efforts to stop this malpractice.

These malcontents had spread their wings to our rural areas, including in growth points, peri-urban areas, district service centres, rural service centres and villages in our communal areas,” he said.

He also warned traditional leaders, particularly village heads, who are illegally parceling out land in anticipation of urbanisation in their areas of jurisdiction, to stop the practice.

President Mnangagwa urged home-seekers to verify the authenticity of the land or stands they intend to buy with the relevant authorities before committing resources to avoid being duped.

He said after realising that some unsuspecting citizens had already fallen victim to land barons, the government embarked on a program to regularise some of the settlements, in line with the Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy.

“The cut-off of this special dispensation is 2021 when the Policy was promulgated. People must toe the line and we cannot tolerate lawlessness.

Hence, any further illegal developments that emerged post the Policy launch will not be regularised,” he said.

The Dzivarasekwa Flats Project was wholly funded by the Government, with the contractor being the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, a development typical of the Whole-of-Government approach to housing delivery, he said.

“As you are aware, shelter is a basic human right and need, to which Government is mandated to ensure that every Zimbabwean has access. These flats epitomise my Government’s commitment to ensure access to shelter, property rights as well as the right to equal protection,” said President Mnangagwa.

Construction of the blocks of flats is in line with the National Human Settlements Policy which President Mnangagwa launched in Marimba in 2021, which he said takes into account the impact of dysfunctional settlements, spatial planning, densification and adoption of appropriate technologies to ensure climate change adaptation and resilience.

The construction of such infrastructure is taking place throughout the country with similar developments having been witnessed in Mutawatawa in Mashonaland East province, Dombotombo in Marondera, Senga in Gweru, Empumalanga West in Hwange, Kasese in Kariba, Binga, Lupane, as well as the Hlalani Kuhle sanitisation among others.

President Mnangagwa challenged the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities and that of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to build more blocks of flats going forward, while also adhering to the Second Republic’s work ethic of completing projects on time.

“As line Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, as well as other property developers, embark on their construction projects, I urge them to use local products, as well as invest in plants and factories to enhance our industrialisation and employment creation, coupled with sustainable supply of alternative building technologies and skills transfer,” he said.

New Ziana