Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A BITTER land dispute between two cousins has reached Chief Mutasa’s community court, where Emmanuel Chikuku is seeking to evict his cousin, Leonard Chikuku, from a piece of family land in Ngarura.
Emmanuel argues that Leonard is unfairly benefiting from a family inheritance, despite only being temporarily allocated the land.
Their kinship stems from Emmanuel’s father being the brother of Leonard’s mother.
“The family allowed my cousin to farm on the land for a few years after he requested it. I specifically warned him not to plant banana trees, knowing they would complicate his eventual removal. Yet he went ahead and established a banana plantation,” Emmanuel told the court.
“Now he refuses to leave, claiming I want to take over his plantation. He insists the land is his because of his investment, but the truth is he cannot inherit my grandfather’s land — he has his own family elsewhere.”
Leonard, however, dismissed Emmanuel’s claims, insisting his occupation of the land dates back decades and was sanctioned by senior family members.
“I grew up within this family. My mother was his father’s sister, but I didn’t know that at the time. I believed I was a Chikuku by birth, and thought my uncle was my father. It was a well-kept secret that I wasn’t his child,” Leonard explained.
He maintained that the land was given to him by Emmanuel’s uncle, the family patriarch.
“He allocated me the land many years ago. I built my homestead there and raised five children. I was shocked when Emmanuel tried to evict me from the place I have called home for decades. His claim that he gave me the land is simply untrue.”
Supporting Leonard’s account, his sister, Loice Chikuku, provided additional context on the family’s history, reinforcing his right to remain on the land.
Loice explained that her mother had never married due to family rituals, which meant she and her siblings grew up at the Chikuku homestead.
“She was not supposed to marry, which is why we carry the Chikuku surname. We were born and raised within that family and have always regarded it as our home,” she said, emphasising that the disputed land had long been tied to their immediate household.
She recalled farming the land alongside their grandfather during childhood. “When he passed away, our grandmother made it clear that the land should go to my brother after her death, since he was the one caring for her,” Loice added.
According to her, the grandmother’s wishes were honoured when the family uncle formally handed the land to Leonard after her passing.
“That is why my brother was given the land. It was agreed within the family, so we do not understand why Emmanuel is now contesting something that was already settled,” she said.
Chief Mutasa, presiding over the matter, urged the family to resolve the dispute internally.
“This should be handled outside the court — it is a family issue. But if you fail to reach a conclusion, return here with the elders I have mentioned so that we can finalise it,” he directed.
He further stressed the importance of involving senior family members to clarify lineage and original land allocations.
“This matter cannot be resolved without the full family present. Bring the fathers and elders so we can establish the truth about the lineage and how this land was first allocated,” said Chief Mutasa.
