Arrested suspects are spending a night at Masvingo Central
Police cells which are packed to the brim before they are taken to court for
remand the next day.
The action seems to follow a recent strong warning by
President Mnangagwa to local authorities that land belongs to the State and
anyone who sells it would face the full wrath of the law.
The arrests are taking place under ‘Operation Order No to
Land Barons’ and the suspects are charged with contravening Section 3 (1) of
the Gazetted Land (Consequential Provisions) Act Chapter 20:28 as read with
Section 5 occupation of gazetted land
without lawful authority.
Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Ezra
Chadzamira confirmed the operation and said it would run from January 10 –
February 9, 2024. Currently most of the arrested suspects are from within the
20km radius of Masvingo Central Business District (CBD).
The charged appeared before Magistrate Elizabeth Hanzi and
they would get trial dates.
Zimbabwe has since 2 000 been bedeviled with illegal
settlements particularly in resettlement areas where some chiefs have made
thousands selling State land. Just before he died the then Minister of Lands,
Retired Air Marshal Perrance Shiri gave notice to all illegal settlers to
vacate within seven days but the notice was not followed through after his
death.
Illegal settlements in Masvingo are seriously threatening
Lake Mtirikwi with siltation while in resettlement areas particularly under
Headman Musara, people have run out of grazing land. In the cities, land barons
have created haphazard settlements with no roads, water or power while many
settlements are on wetlands.
Chadzamira said those settled in catchment areas, wetlands,
grazing land and agriculture land should immediately vacate and properly apply
for land when he launched the campaign at his office last Friday.
“Illegal settlers have occupied catchment areas, wetlands,
grazing land and agriculture land hence affecting productivity and threatening
dams and rivers with siltation. If you are illegally settled in the areas
mentioned above in Masvingo, you are advised to vacate immediately and follow
due procedures in acquiring land,” he warned.
Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural
Development, Dr Anxious Masuka said illegal settlements will not be regularised
and those that would have been arrested should relocate when he launched the
national operation in Harare recently.
“It is a criminal offence, in terms of the Zimbabwe land
Commission Act [Chapter 20: 29] and the gazetted Lands (Consequential
Provisions Act) [Chapter 20:28], for anyone to occupy state land without lawful
authority in the form of a permit, an offer letter or a lease.
“Government will not regularise those that settle
themselves on State land without procedurally issued tenure documents. The full
wrath of the law will be applied in such cases of illegal settlements,” warned
Masuka.
Cases of village heads, headmen and chiefs parceling out
land for about US$300 are rampant in Masvingo’s peri-urban areas. Masvingo
Mirror
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