Beneficiaries of illegal land allocations commonly known as “Sabhuku Deals” risk eviction without compensation, as efforts to restore order in communal land administration gather momentum in Manicaland.
Speaking at an all-stakeholders meeting in Mutare on Wednesday, Minister of State for Manicaland provincial affairs and devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, said the exercise is aimed at curbing corruption, protecting communal land and addressing the growing challenge of unplanned settlements.
“Beneficiaries of illegal land allocations will be removed from the land without compensation. There is no room for corruption and abuse of communal land,” said Advocate Mugadza.
The Minister said communal land remains State land administered through rural district councils under the Communal Land Act, stressing that traditional leaders are custodians of the land and not owners with authority to sell it.
“Traditional leaders have no legal mandate to sell or permanently allocate communal, State or resettlement land. Any violations will attract disciplinary and legal action,” he said.
Investigations have revealed that some traditional leaders and village heads have been unlawfully allocating land, resulting in land disputes, environmental degradation and the emergence of settlements without proper planning or essential infrastructure.
Advocate Mugadza said illegal settlements have been established without approved layouts, roads, water systems, schools or health facilities, creating challenges for service delivery and development planning.
He directed law enforcement agencies, local authorities and relevant Government departments to work together in restoring order in land administration across Manicaland’s seven districts.
The Minister also expressed concern over settlements established in environmentally sensitive areas such as mountains, wetlands, waterways, grazing lands and river valleys, warning that such developments threaten natural resources and sustainable development.
In Chimanimani, illegal settlers have reportedly occupied timber plantations, while in Makoni, boundary disputes involving traditional leaders have contributed to the emergence of unofficial headmen.
Advocate Mugadza urged local authorities to strictly enforce master plans and strengthen development control measures under the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act to prevent further illegal developments.
The ongoing exercise seeks to curb informal land sales, promote orderly settlement patterns and ensure that communal land is administered in accordance with the law.
