By Sinenhlahla Moyo
Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe has warned that anyone involved in the illegal sale or allocation of land in Enyandeni Resettlement Area faces arrest and prosecution, following mounting complaints from residents over alleged corrupt land deals.
Nguluvhe issued the warning during an interactive meeting with villagers at Enyandeni Village 4, where government officials met residents to investigate allegations of illegal settlements, irregular land allocation and intimidation linked to land disputes.
The meeting brought together villagers from across the resettlement area, village heads, officials from the District Development Coordinator’s (DDC) office, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the President’s Department, the Ministry of Lands, the Gwanda Rural District Council and other stakeholders.
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Addressing residents, Nguluvhe said land should not be treated as a commodity for personal gain.
“Land was acquired through the liberation struggle and should not be sold illegally. Anyone found selling land outside the law or engaging in corruption will face the consequences,” he said.
He said all land allocations must be processed through the Ministry of Lands and other authorised government structures, warning village heads and community leaders against allocating land outside the law.
The minister also called for an end to illegal land occupations, saying priority should be given to local people, particularly young families and those with historical ties to the area, when land is allocated.
Residents used the meeting to raise a series of concerns, including allegations that some local leaders were victimising villagers and facilitating illegal land allocations.
In one of the allegations, a villager from Village 3 implicated Enyandeni ZANU-PF chairperson Bongani Mlilo in the illegal allocation of land. Nguluvhe said he would visit the village to investigate the claims and engage those involved before drawing any conclusions.
Responding to questions from villagers, Nguluvhe clarified that village chairpersons have no legal authority to allocate land and should instead report illegal settlers to the relevant authorities.
He also urged residents not to be intimidated by anyone, including civil servants allegedly involved in illegal settlements, and encouraged them to report cases through the appropriate administrative channels. He gave villagers his contact details to report incidents directly if necessary.
Villagers from Village 9 appealed for the regularisation of land occupied by expanding families from long-established local lineages so they could formally pay council rates. Nguluvhe said any regularisation would have to follow lawful procedures through the DDC’s office and the Ministry of Lands.
Residents from Village 8 also raised concerns over increasing stock theft and alleged that some members serving on local committees were not from the area. The minister directed communities to replace non-local committee members with local residents.
Beyond the land disputes, Nguluvhe called for faster implementation of development projects in Enyandeni, including the establishment of Village Business Units and the drilling of additional boreholes to improve water access. He said the resettlement area currently has 66 boreholes.
At the close of the meeting, villagers identified individuals they alleged were involved in illegal land sales. Nguluvhe reiterated that those found engaging in unlawful land dealings would face the law and urged residents to report grievances through the DDC’s office and other relevant authorities before escalating them to his office.
He said the Government would investigate the allegations raised and work with relevant authorities to resolve the area’s land administration challenges.
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