Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe has warned traditional leaders against selling or allocating communal land without consulting communities, saying such practices threaten future generations.
Speaking at the King Mzilikazi commemorations on Saturday, where he was the guest of honour, Nguluvhe said village heads involved in illegal land sales risked losing their positions.
“Stop selling land. You will hate me because I am going to arrest you. I do not have power over chiefs, but village heads who are selling land will be removed,” he said.
Nguluvhe said traditional leaders should consider the long-term consequences of land allocations, particularly where people from outside communities were settled without local consultation.
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“Village heads should know that land does not expand like buns. If you give someone from Beitbridge land without consulting the community, where are your grandchildren going to live?
“Where will your children stay if you continue selling land? We must work hard and develop the nation,” he said.
The minister also warned against the misuse of the names of government officials to interfere with mining operations and other development activities, amid concerns over alleged double allocation of mining claims.
“When it comes to development, let us move beyond slogans and focus on serving the people. No one should abuse the President’s name or claim to be linked to me in order to take away someone else’s mine. That is not acceptable,” he said.
Nguluvhe said he had already cautioned people in Fort Rixon against invoking the names of public officials to intimidate others or gain unfair advantages.
“I told them that anyone abusing official names will be arrested,” he said.
He urged communities to take responsibility for solving local problems rather than waiting for intervention from central government.
“We want to bring sanity to this part of Zimbabwe. No one is going to come from Harare to fix things for us; we must fix them ourselves,” he said.
Nguluvhe also called on mining companies operating in Matabeleland South to invest more in local development.
He said firms should contribute towards infrastructure such as roads, schools and health facilities instead of extracting minerals and leaving communities without lasting benefits.
“We have many mines. They extract diamonds and gold and leave behind pits. From now on, companies must be responsible for fixing roads where they operate, building schools and hospitals, and not simply mining and leaving,” he said.
Nguluvhe said the region’s mineral wealth was finite and should be used to create lasting benefits for local communities.
“Gold is not like sweet potatoes; once it is mined, it disappears. We do not want to remain saying we once had gold. We must use our resources to benefit the people of this region.
“Let us build our country using our own resources,” he said.
Nguluvhe also reiterated his commitment to maintaining an open-door policy, urging residents to raise concerns directly with provincial authorities.
“My office will remain open 24 hours a day. I am prepared to serve the people on behalf of the President, so feel free to come forward so that together we can fix our country,” he said.
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