Nyore Madzianike
Senior Reporter
CHIEF Svosve has called for the reinstatement of a lease for land at Bita Farm in Wedza, Mashonaland East Province, to allow the construction of a school for the benefit of hundreds of children in the area and surroundings.
The traditional leader made the call during a community meeting at Gotora Business Centre in Wedza, which was attended by hundreds of parents, villagers and ZANU-PF leadership, who all concurred with his position.
Chief Svosve said the reinstatement of Mr Watson Magwenzi’s lease should be reconsidered in the interest of community development.
The lease agreement was cancelled in February 2026, at the height of a dispute between Mr Magwenzi and Mrs Janet Dapi over the running and administration of the proposed school, Ellizy and Dylan Group of Schools.
Mr Magwenzi is the holder of Lease GL 2594 issued by the Government. The dispute had drawn the attention of the Ministry of Lands, with Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Cde Itayi Ndudzo, having initially written to the Minister of Lands recommending the cancellation of the lease.
However, Chief Svosve said the disagreement between the two parties should not be allowed to derail an important development initiative meant to address the educational needs of children in Bita Farm and surrounding communities.
He said the priority should be to ensure that the land is put to productive use and that the community benefits from the establishment of a school.
“Development must always come first. We cannot allow disagreements between individuals to stand in the way of our children’s education,” Chief Svosve said.
“The people of Bita Farm need a school, and our responsibility as leaders is to create an enabling environment for that development to take place. For that reason, Mr Mangwenzi’s lease should be reinstated.”
Chief Svosve said the community had expressed overwhelming support for the reinstatement of Mr Mangwenzi’s lease, arguing that the project should be given an opportunity to proceed while the differences surrounding the running of the institution are resolved through constructive engagement.
Chief Svosve said traditional leaders, political leadership and Government should work together to ensure that development programmes were not frustrated by personal disagreements.
“The issue before us is bigger than the individuals involved. We are talking about the future of our children,” he said.
The meeting at Gotora Business Centre provided an opportunity for villagers to express their concerns over the stalled development after the cancellation of the lease.
Community members also supported calls for the reinstatement of Mr Magwenzi’s lease.
The ZANU PF leadership that attended the meeting also concurred with the community’s position on the need to prioritise development and ensure that the proposed educational project is not abandoned.
Chief Svosve said the reinstatement of the lease would be an important first step towards unlocking the project.
He called on the responsible Government authorities to consider the community’s representations and facilitate an amicable resolution that would allow construction of the school to proceed.
“The people have spoken, and their concerns must be taken seriously. We are appealing for a solution that puts the interests of the community first.”
Mr Magwenzi has since approached the High Court challenging the cancellation of his lease agreement.
Minister of Lands and Rural Development has been cited as respondent. In his court papers, Mr Magwenzi claimed that he was allocated the land, paid fees and entered into a lease agreement.
He also said that he managed to obtain an interdict, in separate proceedings, to stop Mrs Dapi from interfering in the running of the piece of land in question.
Mr Magwenzi said that he was not given a fair opportunity to answer allegations before the lease was cancelled.
He relies also on community minutes and a recommendation said to have been made by the District Lands Committee.
“The Applicant’s case, as summarised in his heads and answering affidavit, is that he applied for and was allocated the land, paid fees, entered into a lease, obtained an interdict in separate proceedings, and was not given a fair opportunity to answer allegations before the lease was cancelled,” read the court papers.
“He relies also on community minutes and a recommendation said to have been made by the District Lands Committee.”
