Ex-soldier in land grabbing storm

A former Air Force of Zimbabwe officer, Fanuel Mangezi, has been accused of illegally parcelling out over 32 hectares of land at Just Right Farm in Mhondoro-Ngezi, sparking bitter disputes and deep divisions within the local farming community.

Residents allege that Mangezi, who once chaired the Just Right Farm committee, abused his influence and connections to seize land meant for community projects, including the planned Just Right High School, and reallocate it for residential use.

Farm committee secretary Enock Majinga told Standard People that Mangezi used his background as a former soldier and his ties to district land officials to override local decisions.

"When Mangezi came, there was already a committee chaired by Mr Phiri," said Majinga.
"Later, when he became chairperson, he started taking over land, including plots reserved for the school and other open spaces. He used his position and connections to force through his decisions."

Majinga claimed that five families lost their land, each averaging six hectares, while he himself lost two hectares.

"He first took land meant for the high school and started allocating people. During his tenure, everything became privatised," he added.
"He was close to the then lands officer, Joseph Matandire, and that relationship made him untouchable. Many people lost their land during that time."

Villagers also alleged that official land ownership records have mysteriously disappeared from the district office database.

"We lodged a complaint with the lands office in June, but we were told to give them money for transport," Majinga said.
"We were charged US$10 each, but the process stalled, and I took my money back. The corruption is too deep."

Another affected farmer, Joseph Chikwenhere, said his family's land - a legacy from his late father - had been taken over without warning.

"In 2019, I found a hut built on our main field while another person was still living there," Chikwenhere said.
"When I reported it to the Mashayamombe lands office, they said my father's name no longer appeared in their system, even though it had always been listed before. This land means everything to my family."

He appealed to the Ministry of Lands to investigate and restore ownership records.

Contacted for comment, Mhondoro-Ngezi lands officer Rugare Chimbindi confirmed awareness of the dispute but said her office had not yet visited the site due to logistical constraints.

"We are aware that the dispute concerns land boundaries," she said.
"We were supposed to attend to the case last week, but we currently have no vehicle for transportation. We hope to go there next week if the district development coordinator provides one."

Efforts to reach Mangezi for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone repeatedly went unanswered.

The dispute underscores persistent land management and accountability challenges in rural areas, where overlapping authority and missing records often leave legitimate landholders vulnerable to dispossession.

Community leaders fear that without urgent intervention by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, the conflict could escalate, leaving dozens of families stranded and fuelling further distrust in local land governance systems.