Charamba 'explains' the Catholic land saga

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting land belonging to the Catholic University of Zimbabwe following years of encroachment by illegal settlers and land barons, a situation that had threatened to ignite tensions between the State and the Church. This comes after Temba Mliswa made some allegation against the Catholic Church.

The background to the university's establishment traces back to the First Republic, when a team led by the then Defence Minister - now President - Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, working alongside the late Professor Emeritus Ngwabi Bhebhe, initiated plans for the creation of a third State university, which later became Midlands State University (MSU).

Although the late former President Robert Gabriel Mugabe supported the MSU proposal, he first insisted on the establishment of a Catholic University as part of a broader vision to promote higher education through faith-based institutions. This move was also aligned with proposals by other denominations, including the Dutch Reformed Church and the Anglican Church, which sought to establish universities in Mashava and Chivhu respectively.

In a quid pro quo arrangement, President Mugabe agreed to the establishment of MSU on the condition that the Catholic University project received both its charter and land allocation first. Then-Minister Mnangagwa facilitated this process, identifying suitable land for the Catholic University and ensuring it was legally excised for the purpose.

However, the project took longer than expected to gain momentum. It eventually began to take shape under the leadership of the late Dr Ranga Zinyemba, a respected academic and former University of Zimbabwe lecturer, who became the Catholic University's inaugural Vice-Chancellor.

Over the years, as land barons began illegally parcelling out state and institutional land, the Catholic University's property - like many other areas around Harare - was targeted by illegal settlers. Some individuals acquired fraudulent title deeds and began constructing unauthorized structures on the university's land.

The situation mirrored other high-profile cases of land invasion, including the illegal occupation of PPC land along Airport Road - an encroachment that was recently reversed by the President.

With the support of government, the Catholic University has since moved to secure its land and construct a perimeter wall - the now-visible brown durawall marking the boundaries of the property. Officials say this effort is part of a broader national initiative to restore order to urban land administration and protect institutional properties from illegal occupation.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who oversees all economic ministries and projects, including urban land regularization, has been directly involved in coordinating such efforts. He has also been tasked by the President to manage government–church relations and projects, including the Catholic Church's economic initiatives such as the Driefontein project in the Midlands.

Chiwenga previously represented Zimbabwe at the inauguration of the current Pope and helped prepare for President Mnangagwa's recent historic State visit to the Vatican.

Government insiders have dismissed attempts by some political actors to frame the current land regularization exercise as a State–Church standoff, describing such claims as "false and malicious."

"By spreading these distortions, some individuals risk creating unnecessary friction between the Church and the State based on falsehoods," Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba said. "The facts are clear: the government is working to restore and protect the Catholic University's rightful property, not to undermine the Church."

The Catholic University continues to operate from its Harare campus as it gradually expands its academic and physical infrastructure with government support.