Tensions escalate as Zimbabwean villagers resist land takeover

Tensions are mounting in the Malipati area of Chiredzi as a land dispute involving local villagers, their headman, and outside investors threatens to destabilise the community. Several villagers have been summoned by local traditional authorities, including Chief Sengwe, over their resistance to what they claim is forced land donation to third-party investors.

The dispute began when community members, led by Tazi Muchekelwa, challenged their headman, only identified as Manzini, for allegedly coercing residents to surrender ancestral land to the Malipati Agrihub, a commercial farming venture. Muchekelwa, now facing accusations of inciting the community to disrupt the project, was ordered to appear before a local court at Davata Community Hall on May 28.

In a letter dated May 1, addressed to village head James Dube and copied to Chief Sengwe and the Malipati Farmers Association, the villagers accused the headman of abusing his authority to force land donations. They claimed they were being pressured to give up fertile land traditionally used for subsistence farming, with no clear benefit or consent from the broader community.

Muchekelwa, along with John Dube, Joseph Mungowa, and Felina Ncube, raised the alarm after a series of community dialogue meetings facilitated by the Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (Cotrad). The organisation has since supported the villagers by engaging Matutu and Mureri legal practitioners to provide legal counsel.

The situation has deteriorated rapidly, with over 15 families now at risk of being displaced. Fencing has been erected and security guards deployed to block villagers from accessing their land, raising fears of imminent evictions.

"The main reason for this tension is that members of the community feel betrayed by secretive land deals," reads part of the villagers' letter. "The cultivated crops - maize, sorghum, and beans - are controlled by private investors, with benefits accruing only to a select few who agreed to the deals."

The letter further criticises the lack of transparency in the terms of the land agreements and the unresponsiveness of both investors and local authorities, despite numerous attempts at engagement.

"These actions are a violation of our socio-cultural and economic rights," said one affected villager. "They threaten our way of life and our means of survival."

Cotrad, which has been documenting land rights violations in the area, described the situation as part of a growing pattern of corporate land grabs targeting vulnerable rural communities. The organisation has vowed to continue providing platforms for dialogue, community mobilisation, and legal support.

"Communities like Malipati deserve to be protected by policies that safeguard their land and livelihoods," Cotrad said in a statement. "We call for accountability from both local leaders and corporations involved in these opaque deals."

The Malipati case is the latest in a series of rural land disputes across Zimbabwe, where clashes between traditional landowners and commercial interests are on the rise, raising broader questions about land governance, consent, and community benefit.