Family in 101-year land dispute with school authorities

A 100-year-old settlement in Chishakwe, Mutare South, is at the centre of a bitter land dispute after authorities at Chishakwe Secondary School allegedly ordered the descendants of the late Anglican pastor Gabriel Matasva to vacate the land their forefather occupied as far back as 1923.

The matter came to light after the late pastor's grandson, Kelvin Matasva, told NewsDay Weekender that his family was shocked to receive instructions to leave the land, despite a history that stretches more than a century.

Kelvin said the Matasva family originally occupied the area during the colonial era when his grandfather — forced to relocate — eventually settled at Chishakwe. He trained as a pastor at St Augustine, opened an Anglican Church branch in the area and, according to Kelvin, played a key role in the establishment of both Chishakwe Primary and Secondary Schools.

He said land was allocated to his grandfather when he married and that the area was officially registered under his name. Following the pastor's death, the property was passed down to his children and later to Kelvin's father, who wrote to the school authorities in August 2022 requesting engagement over boundary concerns shortly before his death.

According to Kelvin, the family only discovered years later that the land they occupied had been listed as school property. He said the authorities were now demanding that six families, including his own, vacate the area without compensation. The family argues that the secondary school was established long after their forebear's settlement and should not override their ancestral occupation.

Kelvin accused Chief Zimunya of attempting to remove them forcefully, saying the traditional leader told them to demolish their own houses where necessary and relocate through village heads. Kelvin claims the village heads themselves admitted they did not have alternative land available, leaving the families with nowhere to go.

He described the directive as unfair and said it was shameful for authorities to attempt eviction without compensation for families who have lived and built their livelihoods there for more than 75 years. Kelvin alleges that corruption and lack of cooperation have slowed attempts to resolve the dispute, adding that the district development co-ordinator previously advised that no family should be removed without compensation.

The situation has reportedly escalated, with meetings held in the presence of police officers. Village head Prince Chishakwe confirmed that discussions took place and that minutes were recorded. He said fencing posts were installed to demarcate school land after a council planning visit, but conflict intensified when the Matasva family removed the boundary poles. He declined to comment further, insisting the matter was under the authority of the chief and also now before the police.

Efforts to contact Chishakwe Secondary School head James Chamanwa and district development co-ordinator Tenda Kapenzi were unsuccessful, while attempts to reach Chief Zimunya yielded no response.

For now, the Matasva family remains on the property but has reportedly been given two weeks to vacate. With no resolution in sight, the dispute threatens to become a test case for land rights, communal history and the limits of traditional authority in rural Zimbabwe.