Zimbabwe: Land Barons Using Forged Documents to Grab Land - Harare City Council Report

25 August 2026
New Zimbabwe (London)

Harare City Council has accused land barons of using forged documents and night-time invasions to seize land, as it moves to demolish more than 100 illegal settlements while regularising thousands of other stands.

According to the Town Clerk's report, a new tactic has emerged in which land invaders occupy properties over weekends and immediately move people onto the land to frustrate demolition efforts.

"In some instances, invaders are using documents with scanned and forged signatures. This is rampant in medium and low density areas," the report states.

"All cases have been reported to ZRP," the report stated.

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Kuwadzana Paddocks is among the worst affected areas, with 21 housing cooperatives facing demolition after court orders were granted.

Other hotspots include Budiriro, Greendale, Crowborough, Belvedere and Mbare.

In Budiriro, cooperatives including Ebenezer, Chiedza Chedu and Totonga have built on wetlands and school sites.

In Greendale, 45 stands have had construction taking place for the past eight years, while in Crowborough, 291 stands allocated to the Debora and Limpopo cooperatives are illegally occupied.

Council said it has been working to bring order to the city's housing sector through a regularisation programme.

Since July 2023, the Regularisation Task Force has visited 101 settlements comprising 22,255 stands.

Of these, 93 settlements have been regularised, allowing Council to begin billing residents for rates and services.

However, Council has drawn a clear line on areas that will not qualify for regularisation.

"No regularisation for wetlands, schools, recreational areas, low density invasions, or any new invasions after September 24, 2023."

Council also warned against the use of housing cooperatives as a front for illegal land allocations in affluent suburbs.

"Council shall not regularise invasion of land in Low Density Areas by Land Barons under the disguise of Housing Cooperatives," the report warned.

Several demolition orders are now pending execution by the Sheriff.

Read the original article on New Zimbabwe.

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