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Zanu-PF bigwigs accused of grabbing airport land
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The ruling Zanu-PF party and senior government officials are allegedly selling land earmarked for the expansion of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to unsuspecting individuals.
Presidential Affairs and Devolution secretary Tafadzwa Muguti revealed yesterday that land barons had illegally occupied more than 140 sites across Harare, including the airport expansion zone, claiming backing from President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputies Kembo Mohadi and Constantino Chiwenga.
"The President and the government will not stand aside and watch people enrich themselves using the names of our principals and the party," Muguti said. "We do not care what position you hold in government or the party — abusing office for land crimes is a security matter, not a civil one, and we will deal with it decisively."
In July, it emerged that Tourism deputy minister and Hunyani MP Tongai Mnangagwa had written to the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) seeking to regularise the illegal occupation of land within the airport's yellow zone by his supporters.
The land in question has long been declared a protected zone for airport expansion. In 2015, the late former President Robert Mugabe ordered the demolition of nearby illegal structures, calling them a security threat.
Muguti accused "bigwigs" of using Zanu-PF logos to seize land and extort money from businesses and individuals, warning that such actions would not be tolerated.
"Land is not bought like sweets on the road," he said. "This culture of selling land and then seeking government regularisation will not happen under the Second Republic. We do not endorse criminals."
Despite repeated audits into land theft and corruption in urban settlements, the findings have never been made public. Harare remains plagued by illegal occupations tied to politically connected land barons, with demolition orders failing to curb the crisis.
Presidential Affairs and Devolution secretary Tafadzwa Muguti revealed yesterday that land barons had illegally occupied more than 140 sites across Harare, including the airport expansion zone, claiming backing from President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputies Kembo Mohadi and Constantino Chiwenga.
"The President and the government will not stand aside and watch people enrich themselves using the names of our principals and the party," Muguti said. "We do not care what position you hold in government or the party — abusing office for land crimes is a security matter, not a civil one, and we will deal with it decisively."
In July, it emerged that Tourism deputy minister and Hunyani MP Tongai Mnangagwa had written to the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) seeking to regularise the illegal occupation of land within the airport's yellow zone by his supporters.
Muguti accused "bigwigs" of using Zanu-PF logos to seize land and extort money from businesses and individuals, warning that such actions would not be tolerated.
"Land is not bought like sweets on the road," he said. "This culture of selling land and then seeking government regularisation will not happen under the Second Republic. We do not endorse criminals."
Despite repeated audits into land theft and corruption in urban settlements, the findings have never been made public. Harare remains plagued by illegal occupations tied to politically connected land barons, with demolition orders failing to curb the crisis.
Source - Newsday
