Government Warns Traditional Leaders Over Illegal Sale of State Land
The Government has issued a stern warning to traditional leaders involved in the illegal sale of State land.
Authorities said offenders will be arrested, prosecuted, and could face imprisonment as they move to curb a surge in unlawful land transactions.
Illegal Land Deals Surge in Peri-Urban Areas
The alert comes amid rising alarm in areas around Harare Metropolitan, where certain village heads and traditional leaders are reported to have exploited their positions by selling communal land without government authorization.
The practice has become widespread in high-demand peri-urban areas such as Seke, Domboshava and other zones surrounding major cities, where desperate land seekers are being lured into unlawful transactions.
According to investigations, some traditional leaders are allocating communal land informally, issuing handwritten allocation notes or relying on verbal assurances while demanding payment from unsuspecting buyers.
Middlemen and Land Barons Target Buyers
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development said many of the illegal transactions are facilitated by middlemen and so-called land barons who target urban residents, civil servants and Zimbabweans living in the diaspora.
These intermediaries often falsely claim that the land is secure and will later be regularised, despite it remaining State-owned and ineligible for private sale.
Govt: Traditional Leaders Have No Authority to Sell Land
According to The Herald, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Professor Obert Jiri, said traditional leaders have no legal mandate to sell State or communal land, which is held in trust by the State and must be administered strictly within the law.
“Traditional leaders do not have the authority to sell State land,” Prof Jiri said, adding that those engaging in such activities have already been warned and that the practice has been declared criminal.
Arrests and Prosecution Loom
Prof Jiri said Government is determined to stamp out the illegal practice, warning that offenders will be arrested and prosecuted.
“Leaders who engage in these practices have been warned. It has been declared criminal and warrants arrest,” he said, describing the conduct as a betrayal of the trust communities place in traditional leadership.
Public Urged to Follow Legal Channels
To acquire land legally, Prof Jiri urged land seekers to follow established procedures, including applying to the Minister of Lands, who has the authority to allocate land on behalf of the President.
He stressed that any unauthorised attempts to sell or parcel out agricultural land are strictly prohibited, warning that many people, including Zimbabweans in the diaspora, have lost large sums of money after being duped into buying communal land that cannot be legally titled.
Flipcash is Your Trusted PayPal & Crypto Exchange Partner in Zimbabwe — WhatsApp +263 77 163 9263
The post Government Warns Traditional Leaders Over Illegal Sale of State Land appeared first on iHarare News.
