Mnangagwa, Rautenbach land seizure sparks outcry

The contentious seizure of productive farmland in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East, meant to benefit close business associate of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Muller Conrad "Billy" Rautenbach, has taken a fresh twist amid allegations of corruption and manipulation. It has emerged that Rautenbach's company, Marimba Residential Properties Limited, was issued the deed of transfer for Springs Farm before the dispute was even heard in the High Court.

This development has alarmed indigenous farmers - many of them war veterans - who have farmed the land for over two decades, as well as some government officials, who are questioning how the title deed was fast-tracked despite ongoing legal challenges.

The aggrieved farmers approached the High Court on 2 August 2024 after the government controversially withdrew offer letters previously issued to them, reallocating the farm to Rautenbach. The multi-millionaire businessman, known for his vast interests in real estate, transport, mining, energy, and farming, is a close ally of President Mnangagwa.

Despite the pending court case, Marimba Residential Properties Limited obtained the title deed for Springs Farm on 5 June 2025, suggesting undue influence in the process.

The government is moving to evict local farmers from both Springs Farm and the neighboring Stuhm Farm to facilitate an urban development project spearheaded by Rautenbach, with Mnangagwa's backing. Farmers accuse the government of deception, fraud, and corruption over the forcible takeover of land they have invested in and cultivated for years.

The official rationale for the eviction is to compensate Rautenbach for land he allegedly lost in Harare's Aspindale Park after failing to evict residents considered Zanu PF supporters. However, a 2019 High Court ruling declared that Rautenbach was not the rightful owner of the Aspindale Park land, which was allocated to housing cooperatives in 2004.

In a letter dated 14 March 2025, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe offered Rautenbach more than 1,000 hectares - comprising parts of Springs and Stuhm Farms - as compensation for 180 hectares of Aspindale Park land he purportedly lost. The letter outlined that the Ministry would facilitate title deed processing upon Rautenbach's acceptance, expecting simultaneous transfer of his disputed properties to the State to conclude the matter.

The NewsHawks established that Rautenbach's companies were not even registered at the time they claimed ownership of Aspindale Park land, which was legally allocated to Joshua Nkomo Housing Co-operative and developed by affiliated cooperatives. Despite this, the government appears to be compensating Rautenbach with significantly more land than he originally lost.

In a 2019 High Court judgment, Justice Philda Muzofa declared government attempts to withdraw the cooperatives' rights to develop Aspindale Park as null and void, affirming that the land did not belong to Rautenbach.

Nonetheless, President Mnangagwa directed the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Anxious Masuka to compensate Rautenbach with extensive farmland, raising questions of unjust enrichment and potential fraud.

Farmers from Springs Farm wrote to War Veterans Minister Monica Mavhunga expressing their dismay, emphasizing that Rautenbach never produced title deeds proving ownership and lost his case in court. They highlighted their investments in the farms, including land clearing, irrigation expansion, equipment purchases, livestock herds, employee housing, and community infrastructure like a school built with government permission.

Adding to the controversy, Stuhm Farm - also allocated to Rautenbach - was reportedly sold to Members of Parliament under Goromonzi District in 2019, with lease agreements signed just weeks before the land was reassigned.

While Rautenbach failed to secure Aspindale Park land in court, he developed the uncontested 55 hectares at Aspindale Park and Aspire Heights, which President Mnangagwa officially opened in February 2023.

The ongoing land dispute highlights critical issues of property rights, the rule of law, government transparency, accountability, and alleged corruption within Mnangagwa's administration. It raises serious concerns about the fairness of the government's land allocation policies, especially at a time when a Title Deeds programme has been launched purportedly to resolve ownership disputes nationwide.

This case remains a significant test of President Mnangagwa's commitment to justice and equitable governance as indigenous farmers continue to challenge the questionable seizure of their land for the benefit of politically connected elites.