Land barons invade rural areas

Villagers in Makumbe, Buhera West, have raised alarm over what they describe as the illegal parcelling and sale of communal land by suspected land barons, a situation they say has triggered violent disputes, court battles and threats that are destabilising the community.

Traditional leaders accuse a local man, William Ngundu, of unlawfully allocating and selling communal land without authority, allegedly demanding cash or livestock from families for land which, under customary law, cannot be sold.

The dispute has exposed a growing crisis in rural Zimbabwe, where alleged land barons are accused of exploiting communal areas, undermining traditional leadership structures and fuelling conflicts that residents fear could turn deadly if authorities fail to intervene.

Village head Abia Makumbe said the land in question falls under the Makumbe chiefdom and is protected by customary law.

"This land belongs to our ancestors and it is not for sale," he said.

"He came from another area and started allocating land without following the law. Our community is now living in conflict."

Another village head, Stanford Gwinyi, warned that tensions in the area are escalating rapidly.

"These actions are causing serious disagreements that can lead to death," he said. "We are asking the government to intervene before lives are lost."

Several villagers claim they were pressured into paying for land out of fear of eviction.

Agatha Mhosva said she was ordered to pay US$300 to retain land she had occupied for many years.

"He sold my land to other people and told me I must pay to stay," she said. "He even claimed he is more powerful than the magistrates' court."

Noah Chigidi said he paid for land because he had no alternative.

"I was scared of being homeless," he said. "After that, he threatened to evict me and forced me to work in his fields."

Cephas Mukono said his family paid two head of cattle for land that is now under dispute.

"He told us he was the chief and that he was selling land," he said. "Now we are being told we may never live there."

The disputes have spilled into the courts. Raymond Makumbe said his grandfather's field was sold without the family's consent, resulting in a High Court ruling in October last year ordering that the land be returned.

"The court gave us our land back, but tensions are still high," he said.

Contacted for comment, Ngundu denied selling land illegally and insisted that he is the legitimate traditional authority in the area.

"There are cultural processes when land is allocated," he said. "That should not be called selling land."

Ngundu said an eviction order affecting several families was being contested and called for government intervention, arguing that the court judgment was flawed.