Court delays derail multi-billion cyber city project

A proposed multi-billion-dollar cyber city project in Marondera - billed as one of the largest private-sector investments in Mashonaland East - has been thrown into uncertainty amid allegations of corruption, land disputes, and delays in the justice system.

Businessman and liberation struggle veteran John Fadzisayi Jani, the architect of the development, says the project has been stuck for months because the Marondera Municipality is illegally allocating residential stands on land that the Lands Ministry officially confirmed belongs to him.

Jani argues that the municipality's conduct and the slow pace of court processes are undermining not only his investment but also national development goals.

"The intentional delays to progress by Marondera Municipality negate unfavourably on the Presidential 2030 Vision," he said.

Jani accuses certain municipal officials of corruption and deliberate sabotage, claiming they are allocating stands on Elmswood Farm, the site earmarked for the cyber city, despite clear communication from the Lands Ministry affirming his ownership.

"The elephant in the room is corruption within various government systems, including local authorities," Jani said. "Certain departments are supportive, but some bureaucratic bungling is slowing down progress."

He alleges that instead of cooperating with an investment that promises major economic transformation, the municipality is attempting to regularise illegal settlements through "backdoor processes" that contradict national investment priorities.

"They keep allocating stands as if the land is vacant and uncontested," he said. "It is sabotage disguised as administration. Marondera Municipality has a lot of land in other peripheries where they should focus on their development."

The cyber city, which is expected to create 15 000 jobs and position Marondera as a regional technology hub, is now hanging in the balance as the legal dispute drags on. Jani says the slow movement of the courts is compounding the problem.

With the matter now before the judiciary, Jani warns that prolonged delays are eroding investor confidence and jeopardising the entire development.

"The case is in court, but the pace is worrying," he said. "Investors don't wait forever. These delays threaten not only the project but the economic gains it promises."

He added that the situation sends a troubling message to local and international investors — that even lawful investments can be held hostage by administrative misconduct and sluggish legal processes.

Jani, who worked closely with the late national heroes Edison Sithole, former Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, veteran advisor Sotayi Katsere, and George Mudukuti during the liberation struggle, says his business philosophy is rooted in the economic principles he inherited from them.

"This cyber city is my contribution to economic independence," he said. "It is designed to create lasting opportunities for Zimbabweans."

For now, however, the future of the project depends on the resolution of the land dispute and the ability of authorities to address what Jani views as a critical test of Zimbabwe's commitment to protecting investment and advancing its development agenda.