The Government of Zimbabwe has warned the traditional leaders, both village heads and chiefs, that anyone will be found selling or facilitating the sale of state land will be considered land barons and will face arrest.
Speaking during a question answer session in the National Assembly last week, cabinet minister urged anyone with concrete evidence to come forward.
The strong warning follows revelations that village heads, particularly in peri-urban areas such as Domboshawa, Seke, Nyabira, Rusape, and Chesa Farm, have settled over 10 000 people through an illicit syndicate.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, said: “If there are village heads selling land, we call them land barons.
“It is illegal, with regard to law; they are supposed to be arr3sted. That is Government policy or that is the law. If there is anyone with concrete evidence like what the Honourable Member alluded to, these people must be arrested, that is Government policy,” Cabinet Minister said.
In a supplementary question, another Member of Parliament alleged that some Government workers responsible for overseeing the issue of village heads parcelling out land were aware of the illegal settlements, but failed to prevent them.
However, Prof Murwira said if Government workers were knowingly allowing such illegality to occur, it should be deemed corruption.
“The issue that he is raising is that there are people that work for the Government and local authorities who may know what is happening and all that.
“That is what we call corruption, and that is why we have laws that deal with corruption, which must prosecute those people who commit corruption. The question again is, is there such law? The law is there”.
