Mukanya claims Zanu-PF stole his land

Thomas Mapfumo, a Zimbabwean musician known for his politically charged songs, has alleged that the ruling Zanu-PF party revoked land that was allocated to him by the Harare City Council in the early 2000s.

The land, located in the affluent Borrowdale suburb, was part of a larger allocation that included prominent figures such as fellow musician Oliver Mtukudzi and footballer George Shaya. While the others received their land, Mapfumo claims he was denied his, with the government accusing him of planning to use the land to create a studio for producing anti-government music.

In an interview with Standard Style, Mapfumo revealed that despite being given official offer letters by the Harare City Council, he was later asked to surrender them, which he refused. He believes Zanu-PF officials were behind the revocation, spreading false claims that his studio would be used to produce politically sensitive content critical of the government.

According to Mapfumo, the land was situated near the residence of Patrick Chinamasa, a senior Zanu-PF official, and he had personally visited the property before the revocation occurred.

Zanu-PF, however, has denied Mapfumo's accusations. Farai Marapira, the party's director of Information and Publicity, dismissed the claims as baseless, pointing out that the Harare City Council is run by the opposition party, not Zanu-PF.

Marapira suggested that Mapfumo should direct his grievances toward the opposition councillors, who are often accused of corruption and land mismanagement, instead of blaming the ruling party for his problems.

In defense of Zanu-PF, Marapira emphasized that the party is focused on improving the country's economy and addressing the needs of the Zimbabwean people. He criticized Mapfumo for continually blaming Zanu-PF for his personal setbacks.

Marapira's comments deflected attention from the party's involvement, placing responsibility for land issues on the opposition-led council.

The Harare City Council, through its spokesperson Stanley Gama, responded cautiously to the claims, stating that a background check would be necessary before issuing an official response.

This ongoing conflict over the land reflects deeper tensions between Mapfumo, a vocal government critic, and the ruling party, as well as ongoing issues surrounding land allocation in Zimbabwe.