https://www.veritaszim.net/node/5728

June 21, 2022

In terms of the scourge of land barons, Cabinet highlights that efforts have been intensified to prosecute offenders.   A total of 347 arrests were made, and 91 cases are before the courts, while 57 have since been finalised, with 6 convictions having been made. 

Land baron arrested

An alleged land baron has been arrested on charges of selling land illegally in Harare’s Warren Park suburb. Harare and surrounding areas have been particularly hard hit by land barons seizing unoccupied State land, sometimes from moribund cooperatives, and subdividing and selling this land, but without providing services such as roads, sewers and water supply. Some of the land barons have be officials of cooperatives and some have tried to hide behind other roles.

Noose tightens on land barons

Following an extensive inquiry into the illegal sale of State land around the country crack teams from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spearheadied investigations of land barons unearthed by a commission of inquiry that was set up by President Mnangagwa in 2018.

Six Harare land barons arrested

Six land barons have been arrested in Harare under an operation being conducted across the country to curb illegal selling of housing stands. The Zimbabwe Republic Police  intensified operations into the illegal allocation of housing stands by land barons in several parts of the country in conjunction with Provincial Affairs Ministers, Provincial Development Co-ordinators and Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.

Investigation into illegal sale of State Land worth $3 Billion by Land Barons

Land barons, housing cooperative leaders, property developers and politically-connected people illegally sold $3 billion worth of urban State land since 2005 and pocketed most of the cash, a commission of inquiry has reported.

At least 431 cases of suspected corruption in the sale of State land need to be investigated and prosecutions instigated, recommended the Commission of Inquiry into the Sale of State Land in and around Urban Settlements.

75 Land Barons Arrested

AN  inquiry into the illegal sale of State land in urban areas is now 60 per cent complete and so far, 75 land barons have been arrested for fraud, theft of trust funds and other corruption-related offences. The government appointed a commission to investigate the irregular sale of State land. Of the 75 suspects, 25 have appeared in court and their cases are still pending.