The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) is moving against land barons that are illegally parcelling out communal land for urban settlement.
The invasion of communal farming land by land barons and their urban clients is straining livestock production as some illegally settled persons are reportedly building homes in areas reserved for pastures.
While Government has taken a tough stance against illegal land occupation resulting in arrests of dozens of offenders countrywide, communities have called for the arrest of the land barons who are behind the chaos.
The concerns have prompted ZACC to join hands with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to roll out public awareness campaigns in targeted areas.
Yesterday, the awareness teams were in Umzingwane District under Chief Sigola where communities were educated about the legal processes of acquiring land and the consequences of engaging in corrupt land deals.
Speaking at the meeting, ZACC principal public education officer, Mr Rubben Mutsvairo, said the nationwide awareness campaign was necessitated by the increase in reports concerning illegal parcelling out of land in communal areas.
He said the issue has resulted in overcrowding, where grazing and farm land is now depleted as people now indiscriminately build homes all over the place.
"As ZACC we have a mandate to promote honest, financial discipline, transparency in the public and private sector and we receive complaints from the public and we take action in regard to such complaints," said Mr Mutsvairo.
"This is the reason why we are here, there are complaints that are coming to our offices, especially to do with land barons and illegal parcelling of land.
"The President has given a decree on issues to do with land barons and a deadline has been given to all local authorities to submit master plans, which is going to be used as a legal document," he added.
"We have a vision as a country to have a citizenry and institutions that uphold integrity, good governance and a corrupt free Zimbabwe by 2030.
"Yesterday (Tuesday), we were in Beitbridge, today we are in Chief Sigola area and tomorrow we will be in Matobo District and lastly we will be in Plumtree."
Mr Mutsvairo said the other team was deployed to Mashonaland Central and both delegations were engaging with councillors, chiefs, and headmen to talk about the effects of illegal parcelling out of land.
Recently, Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works stressed the need for an efficient and transparent system to ensure that urban state land plays a role in facilitating sustainable and functional developments.
"The ministry, therefore, wishes to announce the imposition, with immediate effect, of a moratorium on allocation of urban state land until further notice," said the ministry.
Commenting on the intervention against the communal land invasions, Headman Elmon Dlodlo from Sigola area said issues concerning settlements in their area were serious as people were building homes in wetlands, rivers and grazing land.
"People are building homes without us knowing the process and who is the owner. We have a lot of these in this community and ZACC is here, which will make it difficult for those who are doing such illegal practices.
"As community leaders, we can't stand with such people who have never consulted when doing their things as they do all this without our knowledge," said Headman Dlodlo.
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He said the community had drafted their master plan and hoped it would guide the land allocation processes going forward.
EMA district environment officer Ms Nozithelo Dlamini said the illegal parceling out of land affects land planning, resulting in land degradation, depletion of farm land and shortage of grazing areas.
Commenting on the issue, Mr Jonathan Thompson of Thompson properties who is into land development, said transparency in land allocation was critical.
"We believe that all property sales should have transparency. Without transparency, a number of issues come up, jeopardising the sale. If the property collapses, the buyer is normally the one who suffers.
"The owner of the property, the legal description of the property, the proper paperwork, and the payment of all rates and taxes all need to be in order to complete the transfer of title deeds and ownership," he said.
