Harare leases Newlands land to four firms

The Harare City Council has formally issued leases to four companies for land in the Newlands area, ending a dispute that previously led to the arrest of deputy mayor Rosemary Muronda and former Shadreck Mashayamombe in January.

The leases, signed in February and effective from March 1, are renewable every five years. Beneficiaries include Aspire Elite Incorporated (Private) Limited, Diexodus Marketing (Private) Limited, Gemdale Investments (Private) Limited, and Clean Burn Energy (Private) Limited.

The allocation came despite a directive from Daniel Garwe last July to transfer the land to Logara Properties as part of a proposed swap deal. Muronda and Mashayamombe were arrested after Marvis Java claimed she had been sold a non-existent commercial stand in Newlands; both were later granted US$500 bail after the charges were withdrawn.

Council resisted the minister's order, citing a High Court of Zimbabwe order that acknowledged the four companies' legal claim to the land. According to court documents, the companies had applied for the land in 2023 and secured the High Court order on July 24, 2025, after noting that influential individuals were attempting to take over the property.

Despite acknowledging Minister Garwe's letter, the council proceeded with the lease allocations while working on modalities to execute a potential swap. A finance report seeking approval for the allocations was submitted on September 4 last year and approved by the town clerk the following day. The council formally endorsed the leases in a full meeting in October, after which a public notice was issued inviting objections; none were received.

Minister Garwe later met with Mayor Jacob Mafume, insisting the land be handed over to Logara, citing a proposed US$70 million investment in a greenfield project. However, the council maintains that the lease agreements for the four companies were legally completed, effectively securing their claim to the Newlands land.