Garwe under fire for alleged land grab benefiting Mnangagwa ally

Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe is once again embroiled in a controversial land seizure scandal, this time accused of stripping residential stands from nearly 100 former Members of Parliament (MPs) and reallocating the property to billionaire businessman and close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Billy Rautenbach.

The prime land in question, located in STUHM under Goromonzi District along Shamva Road, had been sold to MPs from the eighth Parliament in 2019 for US$1,942 per stand. Documents seen by NewZimbabwe.com show the deal was formally approved by the then Local Government Ministry under July Moyo, with lease agreements finalized by May 15, 2019.

Among those affected are former Norton legislator Temba Mliswa, liberation war hero Victor Rungani's widow Anna, diplomats Priscilla Misihairambwi and Alice Mashingaidze, ex-ministers Fortune Chasi and Tapiwa Mashakada, traditional leader Chief Clemence Nembire, war veteran Tendai Makunde, and opposition figures Morgan Komichi, Elias Mudzuri, and Amos Chibaya.

Also impacted are MPs Trevor Saruwaka and Innocent Gonese, who - along with others - had already begun making payments as early as December 2018.

According to a letter sent to Minister Garwe by the affected legislators' consortium STUHM on May 9, 2025, all procedures in the acquisition of the land were followed lawfully. The ministry had even pegged and allocated individual stands. However, development of the land, promised by the government, was delayed for years until 2022.

Shock came when Minister Garwe allegedly claimed that the land had been transferred to the Ministry of Defence. This explanation has since been disputed at both ministerial and parliamentary levels, with insiders questioning its validity.

Investigations at the Goromonzi District Council revealed no evidence of reallocation or government orders revoking the MPs' ownership. A council official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed:

"Those are falsehoods. The land and stand numbers are still under MPs who applied and were given title to the land. Nothing has changed."

Despite this, NewZimbabwe.com has established that the area is now reportedly being earmarked for development into a luxury estate styled after the elite Borrowdale Brooke, allegedly under the control and financing of Billy Rautenbach. Rautenbach, who owns the controversial Greenfuel ethanol plant in Chisumbanje, is known for enjoying government protection and monopolistic privileges in Zimbabwe's fuel blending industry.

This is not the first time Minister Garwe has been accused of similar conduct. Barely a month ago, residents of Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative in Arlington, Harare, protested the seizure of their land along Airport Road, which was allegedly handed over to cement giant PPC Zimbabwe under questionable circumstances.

The MPs are now calling for justice and the restoration of their rights to the land they paid for.

"What we do not understand is why Garwe, despite clear evidence of the proper sale of these stands, would disregard our right in this way," one MP said.

"If we had been given [the land] free of charge, we would assume the State had reconsidered - but this is land we paid for. Instead of focusing on building, we are now having to fight unnecessary battles."

Efforts to reach Minister Garwe were unsuccessful as his mobile number was unreachable throughout Friday.

The Ministry of Agriculture has reportedly also laid claim to the land, with allegations that it has begun allocating it to its own beneficiaries - raising further concerns over overlapping government interests and potential abuse of power.

This unfolding saga adds to growing scrutiny over land governance under Minister Garwe's leadership, with accusations pointing to a disturbing trend of displacing legitimate owners in favor of political elites and connected business magnates.