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Zimbabwe govt to roll out policy to curb urban land chaos
The Government is preparing to launch a far-reaching Urban State Land Management Policy aimed at stamping out rampant land corruption, controlling illegal settlements, and ensuring orderly, sustainabl...Published: 27 Jul 2025 at 11:20hrs | 211 | by Staff reporter
Corruption and poor planning blamed for Zimbabwe housing woes
Zimbabwe is grappling with a worsening urban housing crisis, as a combination of poor planning, corruption, and unaffordable housing compounds an estimated 1.5 million-unit backlog nationwide. Local a...Published: 25 Jul 2025 at 17:55hrs | 194 | by Staff reporter
Minister targets Limpopo squatters over stock theft
BEITBRIDGE - Zimbabwe's Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland South, Albert Nguluvhe, has raised alarm over the increasing cases of stock theft in the Beitbridge are...Published: 21 Jul 2025 at 20:00hrs | 356 | by Gideon Madzikatidze and Simbarashe Sithole
Timber shortage hits Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is grappling with a serious timber shortage that has left the local market heavily reliant on imports from neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa, as deep-rooted challenges continu...Published: 04 Jul 2025 at 07:39hrs | 237 | by Staff reporter
Unchecked development eats up wetlands in Harare
What was once a lush expanse of fig trees, wildflowers, butterflies, and vibrant birdlife is now a patch of disturbed land under threat from bulldozers and concrete mixers. The Borrowdale wetland, nes...Published: 09 Jun 2025 at 12:38hrs | 233 | by Staff reporter
Zimbabwe to conduct nationwide assessment of illegal settlements
The Zimbabwean government has announced plans to undertake a comprehensive assessment of illegal settlements across the country, with the goal of regularising some areas in alignment with national hou...Published: 31 May 2025 at 14:02hrs | 373 | by Staff reporter
Zacc cracks down on rampant land grabs
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has raised alarm over the persistent and unlawful takeover of State and communal land by powerful land barons, despite repeated government warnings again...Published: 30 May 2025 at 08:56hrs | 129 | by Staff reporter
Villagers resist proposed land use change
VILLAGERS from three wards along the Zvishavane-Shurugwi Highway in Runde Rural District Council (RDC), Zvishavane District, have voiced strong opposition to a proposal to convert their communal land ...Published: 16 May 2025 at 10:19hrs | 179 | by Staff reporter
Fresh Harare demolitions loom
Harare City Council has confirmed that a document currently circulating on social media suggesting impending demolitions of illegal structures is still under internal review and has not yet been adopt...Published: 16 May 2025 at 09:52hrs | 222 | by Staff reporter
Zimbabwe govt acts on Cloverdale land dispute
The government has put an end to the protracted land ownership dispute over the Cloverdale area in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East province, by confirming that the 250-hectare piece of land belongs to Glo...Published: 24 Apr 2025 at 07:29hrs | 252 | by Staff reporter
Ex-MP accuses suspected land barons of trying to overturn High Court order
Former Mount Pleasant legislator Jason Pasade has accused Eastwind Trust owners, Rodgers Pote and Trymore Arineshito, of attempting to manipulate the lower courts to reverse a High Court eviction orde...Published: 16 Apr 2025 at 23:16hrs | 93 | by Staff reporter
Bulawayo housing waiting list balloons
A Bulawayo councillor has proposed converting certain flats to homeownership in an effort to alleviate the city's growing housing backlog. The suggestion was made on Wednesday during a full council me...Published: 05 Apr 2025 at 12:28hrs | 444 | by Staff reporter
Village heads selling State Land face arrest
Village heads or traditional leaders found selling or facilitating the sale of State land will be classified as land barons and face arrest, a Cabinet Minister has warned. The Government has urged any...Published: 24 Feb 2025 at 08:47hrs | 347 | by Staff reporter
Chamisa tells Harare Commission of Inquiry to summon Mnangagwa
Former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa has called for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to appear before the Commission of Inquiry amid allegations linking his name to corruption ...Published: 09 Dec 2024 at 19:02hrs | 2801 | by Staff reporter
Harare City Council halts house demolitions
The Harare City Council has temporarily suspended its plan to demolish over 5,000 houses deemed to be illegally constructed on council land. This follows a directive from the Government mandating that...Published: 08 Dec 2024 at 09:29hrs | 5881 | by Staff reporter
Harare begins mass demolition
The Harare City Council is set to launch a city-wide demolition campaign on Thursday, targeting structures built without approval on land designated for public amenities. The exercise, which will enfo...Published: 01 Dec 2024 at 08:47hrs | 19046 | by Staff reporter
Zimbabwe says 'undocumented migrants a security risk'
A recent report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs has raised alarm about the potential security risks posed by undocumented migrants in Zimbabwe. The committee, chai...Published: 28 Nov 2024 at 06:53hrs | 1300 | by Staff reporter
Lawyers condemn forced evictions and demolition of homes in Zimbabwe
Human rights lawyers have strongly condemned the recent demolitions of houses and the forced eviction of Zimbabweans from their ancestral lands, labeling the actions as heartless and inhumane....Published: 20 Nov 2024 at 07:01hrs | 233 | by Staff reporter
Harare council fails to account for 100,000 houses
Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume has disclosed that the city is failing to collect rates from over 100,000 households due to an inefficient accounting system, further exacerbated by a growing numb...Published: 20 Nov 2024 at 06:48hrs | 198 | by Staff reporter
Govt stops Harare demolitions
The Harare City Council was forced to suspend its controversial house demolition exercise yesterday following mounting pressure from the government. The move came after a public outcry and strong crit...Published: 18 Nov 2024 at 15:06hrs | 377 | by Staff reporter
Harare launches murambatswina
The City of Harare launched a major demolition operation in Ridgeview, Belvedere on Thursday, destroying several properties that were built without proper approval. The operation left dozens of famili...Published: 08 Nov 2024 at 07:14hrs | 3652 | by Staff reporter
Zimbabwe army to evict land invaders
In a bid to address the growing issue of illegal settlements on farms, the Zimbabwean government has enlisted the assistance of the army to support the police in evicting land barons responsible for c...Published: 06 Nov 2024 at 07:04hrs | 19680 | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF title deed bait misfires
The ruling ZANU-PF party's election pledge to regularise informal settlements is progressing slowly, with only 11,000 title deeds issued in Harare's Epworth suburb since the start of 2023, according t...Published: 01 Nov 2024 at 06:49hrs | 1097 | by Staff reporter
184 arrested for illegal land allocations
In a significant crackdown on illegal land allocations, Zimbabwean police have arrested more than 184 individuals across the country for allegedly parceling out land unlawfully. The operation comes as...Published: 26 Oct 2024 at 12:40hrs | 87 | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF MP accused of extorting funds from land-seeking citizens
BUHERA North legislator Philip Guyo (Zanu PF) is facing accusations of looting and extorting funds from desperate land-seekers in Chitungwiza to finance his 2023 electoral campaign, according to membe...Published: 08 Oct 2024 at 15:08hrs | 475 | by Gideon Madzikatidze/Simbarashe Sithole
Chitungwiza space barons clash with church over land ownership
Recent clashes between Kuera Apostolic Church (under Arch-Bishop Honest Mupepe) and allegedly connected space barons have spilled in the courts of law, as the two parties fight over ownership and cont...Published: 21 Sep 2024 at 09:45hrs | 811 | by Gideon Madzikatidze/Simbarashe Sithole
Mnangagwa's govt blindsides title deed seekers
The government has reversed its earlier commitment to distribute title deeds to informal settlers, now requiring affected homeowners to undergo a formal application process. This shift comes after Pre...Published: 20 Sep 2024 at 08:00hrs | 229 | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF-linked extortion ring fleeces residents
Several Zanu-PF officials are allegedly running a large-scale extortion scheme in Harare South, targeting over 150,000 illegal residents by demanding US$50 in "regularisation fees" from each household...Published: 15 Sep 2024 at 10:01hrs | 1354 | by Staff reporter
Evicted Zimbabwean families brace for winter without shelter
With just a month ahead of the start of the winter season in Zimbabwe, the harsh reality of survival is hitting hard for Gogo Esther and other displaced families in Harare's Retreat and Waterfalls are...Published: 10 Mar 2024 at 06:52hrs | 4 | by Staff reporter
Mnangagwa orders probe into villagers' evictions
THE recent wanton evictions of resettled innocent villagers from their homes across the country was not sanctioned by authorities, suggesting that the genuine blitz against land barons has been hijack...Published: 05 Mar 2024 at 04:57hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF warns land barons
Zanu-PF has said law enforcement agents should go after "big fish" land barons who have made millions of dollars through selling State land which is against the Government and the ruling party's land ...Published: 26 Feb 2024 at 04:50hrs | | by Staff reporter
Zimbabwe fights illegal settlers on state land 'sold' after being repossessed from white farmers
Two decades after a disastrous attempt at land reform, which drove out more than 400 white commercial farmers, the Zimbabwean government is fighting illegal settlers on state land handed out by tradit...Published: 21 Feb 2024 at 07:22hrs | 18 | by Staff reporter
Zimbabwe govt will not allow lawlessness
The government has justified its actions in evicting and apprehending thousands of illegal settlers nationwide, asserting that it cannot tolerate lawlessness.During a question and answer sessi...Published: 16 Feb 2024 at 05:02hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Kasukuwere speaks against evictions
SELF-EXILED former Zanu-PF political commissar and Cabinet minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, has called on the government to put in place a comprehensive plan to arrest the sprouting of illegal settlement...Published: 14 Feb 2024 at 04:42hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Mnangagwa's govt orders illegal settlers off State land
FOLLOWING the recent up-tick in illegal settlements on agricultural land and pastures across rural and urban areas, Government has ordered the concerned culprits to promptly vacate the areas or face t...Published: 09 Feb 2024 at 06:54hrs | 2 | by Staff reporter
Over 700 houses collapse due to heavy rains in Zimbabwe
Since the onset of the rainy season, over 700 houses in Epworth have crumbled, leaving hundreds homeless and in desperate need of assistance due to the relentless December rainfall.Despite a d...Published: 15 Jan 2024 at 05:22hrs | 3 | by Staff reporter
50% Harare boreholes unsafe
Half of the boreholes in Harare's western and northern districts are contaminated with human waste and could be potentially unsafe sources of drinking water.Water samples from boreholes in the...Published: 14 Jan 2024 at 20:20hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF Land barons share the loot with ZRP officials to evade arrest
In a clear sign of disregarding the law, evading arrest and extending influence, land barons from the ruling party, Zanu-PF have illegally resorted to both share the loot and parcel out land earmarked...Published: 07 Jan 2024 at 13:44hrs | 21 | by Paul Ndou
Harare Council warns of third flooding in Budiriro, Kuwadzana areas
Harare City Council has issued a warning about a potential third round of flooding in the heavily affected areas of Budiriro and Kuwadzana.This alert follows the first wave on Unity Day, durin...Published: 05 Jan 2024 at 05:58hrs | 14 | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF vows to crack down on illegal settlements
Zanu-PF has strongly denounced the widespread proliferation of illegal settlements across the nation, attributing the issue to "land barons" who take advantage of vulnerable citizens while falsely cla...Published: 31 Dec 2023 at 09:02hrs | 13 | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF disciplines land invaders
The ruling party Zanu-PF has implemented disciplinary measures against the Mutare DCC Chairman and certain party members implicated in the unlawful sale and allocation of land.In a statement f...Published: 31 Dec 2023 at 09:01hrs | 22 | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF draws line in the sand
Zanu-PF has demanded that all illegal land occupations, sale or parcelling out of land and stands, as well as illegal developments, stop forthwith, as the ruling party only supports planned settlement...Published: 31 Dec 2023 at 08:51hrs | 16 | by Staff reporter
BCC addresses housing backlog
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) is moving towards reducing the city's housing backlog through public-private partnerships (PPPs), among other interventions.Bulawayo's housing backlog stands at ove...Published: 27 Dec 2023 at 10:08hrs | 14 | by Staff reporter
Kasukuwere dangles title deeds
INDEPENDENT presidential candidate Saviour Kasukuwere has pledged to dole out title deeds to house owners in urban areas if he wins the August 23 plebiscite.President Emmerson Mnangagwa has al...Published: 05 Jul 2023 at 07:48hrs | 3 | by Staff reporter
Epworth title deed scheme Zanu-PF vote-buying stunt
THE regularisation of Epworth settlements after President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week started distributing so-called title deeds has come under the spotlight as it has since emerged that the document...Published: 29 Apr 2023 at 19:30hrs | 2 | by Staff reporter
BCC sweats over staff turnover at 'worst school'
IN an effort to retain teachers and address the poor pass rate at its perennial worst-performing school, Aisleby Primary School, Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has resolved to provide staff accommodation...Published: 14 Apr 2023 at 07:33hrs | 3 | by Staff reporter
New housing deal for civil servants
GOVERNMENT is partnering the private sector to provide housing stands to civil servants through a system whereby it sells land to property developers at discounted rates and then it is given 10 percen...Published: 10 Apr 2023 at 07:27hrs | 3 | by Staff reporter
Mnangagwa reveals that land barons are top officials
President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday revealed that most of the land barons are actually top government officials who should be helping to fight corruption.Speaking at the official opening of...Published: 14 Feb 2023 at 05:23hrs | | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF youths, police clash in Goromonzi
RUNNING battles erupted in Goromonzi yesterday between police and an estimated over 1 000 Zanu-PF youths who had invaded a farm before pegging and allocating themselves pieces of land.Several ...Published: 13 Jan 2023 at 05:50hrs | 13 | by Staff reporter
Mnangagwa's rule has been disastrous
DEAR President Emmerson Mnangagwa,Your Excellency, as I see it, it is now the norm for the festive season to be without merriment.Yet, be that as it may, convention and courtesy noneth...Published: 28 Dec 2022 at 21:00hrs | 12 | by Cyprian M Ndawana
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