News / National
Zimbabwe govt loses land dispute
12 Jul 2024 at 04:10hrs | Views
In a recent legal development, the High Court has intervened to order the Ministry of Local Government to return an offer letter withdrawn from land developer N-Frays Infrastructure. The case, brought against the ministry and the Attorney-General, contested the withdrawal of N-Frays' offer letter for a 100-hectare piece of land in Chishawasha B, Goromonzi Farm, intended for residential development.
According to court documents, N-Frays initially applied for the land in 2016 and received an offer letter from the ministry in May of that year. The ministry's offer was contingent upon finalizing a memorandum of understanding detailing implementation specifics and timelines.
However, N-Frays alleged that the minister subsequently failed to fulfill commitments to allocate the specified land parcel from Chishawasha B Farm. In response to N-Frays' demand for action in May 2023, the minister withdrew the 2016 offer in June 2023, prompting N-Frays to challenge this decision in the High Court.
Justice Joseph Chilimbe presided over the case and found the minister's decision to withdraw the offer letter lacking in clarity and rationale. The judge criticized the decision as arbitrary and irrational, noting that it did not adhere to legal standards and deprived N-Frays of the opportunity to present their case adequately.
Consequently, Justice Chilimbe ruled in favor of N-Frays, ordering the minister's decision to withdraw the offer letter to be set aside. This ruling allows both parties to resume proceedings according to their respective rights, marking a significant legal victory for N-Frays Infrastructure in their land acquisition dispute.
According to court documents, N-Frays initially applied for the land in 2016 and received an offer letter from the ministry in May of that year. The ministry's offer was contingent upon finalizing a memorandum of understanding detailing implementation specifics and timelines.
Justice Joseph Chilimbe presided over the case and found the minister's decision to withdraw the offer letter lacking in clarity and rationale. The judge criticized the decision as arbitrary and irrational, noting that it did not adhere to legal standards and deprived N-Frays of the opportunity to present their case adequately.
Consequently, Justice Chilimbe ruled in favor of N-Frays, ordering the minister's decision to withdraw the offer letter to be set aside. This ruling allows both parties to resume proceedings according to their respective rights, marking a significant legal victory for N-Frays Infrastructure in their land acquisition dispute.
Source - newsday
