It Is Illegal: Chief Murinye Clashes With Govt, Insists Riverton Academy Is Illegally Built On Grazing Land And Must Relocate

Chief Murinye Clashes With Govt, Insists Riverton Academy Must Relocate

Masvingo traditional leader Chief Murinye has publicly clashed with provincial government officials, insisting that the newly built Riverton Academy Extension is an illegal structure on communal grazing land and must be relocated.

The confrontation came to a head during a high-level meeting on January 12, 2026, called to resolve the bitter standoff. According to The Herald Zimbabwe, Chief Murinye abruptly left the talks, citing intimidation. This occurred as the province’s Minister, Ezra Chadzamira, attempted to broker a solution.

“You Cannot Just Allocate Yourself Land,” Says Defiant Chief

In a fiery defence of his actions, Chief Murinye stated he never authorised the school’s construction. He framed his blockade of the school’s access road as a necessary step to protect communal resources from unauthorised acquisition.

You cannot just come and allocate yourself a piece of land in the grazing lands like Mr. Mutangiri has done and then develop that piece for your personal aggrandisement at the expense of poor villagers. That is the reason why we ended up blocking.

The Chief firmly rejected accusations of being anti-development, stating his role is to oversee lawful investment. He argued the school’s very existence violates proper procedure.

Firstly, there is no school called Riverton Academy Extension in the Murinye community. It has not been established according to the law. Due process was not followed… I am not anti-development, but what is fundamental is that anybody who wants to come in and invest should do so within the ambits of the law.

A Clash Of Wills And Legal Authorities

The impasse represents a direct conflict between traditional land stewardship and formal government intervention. Chief Murinye invoked the national constitution to justify his independent action.

I came here to have a meeting with the minister. In terms of the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the country, Section 283 says the Chief, whilst in the performance of his duties, is not under the authority of anybody. He carries out his decisions independently. This is exactly what I did because I had to protect my communities.

However, the provincial government moved to assert its authority. Shortly after the meeting concluded, The Herald Zimbabwe reported that Minister Chadzamira had decided learning would continue temporarily.

The Riverton Academy impasse meeting has ended. Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira, says learning activities at Riverton Murinye will continue while the institution’s papers are being regularised. This brings relief to around 180 students at the new school.

This directly contradicts the Chief’s core demand for relocation. In a separate post, school proprietor Philemon Mutangiri stated the government had given him a “thumbs up” to continue operating the school while regularisation takes place.

Allegations Of Bribery And Elitist Fees Deepen Rift

Further fuelling the conflict, Chief Murinye alleged corruption and claimed the school was built for the elite, not the local community. He stated he had fined three village heads one head of cattle each for misconduct related to the land deal.

He had bribed two of my village heads and promised them whatever he promised them… I fined them, including the three village heads, as a result of that issue.

He also highlighted the school’s fees as evidence that it does not serve local families.

The school is charging US$800 per child (approx. ZAR 14,400). No child from Muredi village can afford that. They cannot afford US$48 (approx. ZAR 864) for primary school; how could they afford US$800?

Other reports have presented a different genesis for the dispute. ZimLive alleged that the Chief’s initial grievance was a demand for lifetime free education for his family, which was refused.

With the government permitting the school to operate and the Chief insisting it must move, the clash of authorities remains unresolved, setting the stage for further tension.