Trust Freddy-Herald Correspondent
The Government has vowed to restore order and discipline among traditional leaders, with more than 3 000 village heads facing imminent arrest for the illegal parcelling and sale of communal and State land.
Speaking at an interface meeting with chairpersons of Provincial Assemblies of Chiefs, Directors of Local Government Services, and District Development Coordinators (DDCs) in Harare on Tuesday, Local Government and Public Works Permanent Secretary Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti warned that the long arm of the law will soon catch up with corrupt traditional leaders.
Eng Muguti revealed that the 3 000 implicated village heads were flagged during a rapid 14-day national sweep conducted during his previous role as Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution.
There are more than 35 000 village heads in the country.
The crackdown uncovered that 11 650 hectares of land had been unlawfully sold across the most affected areas.
“Fortunately, in my previous assignment, I was in charge of coordinating provinces, and these deal-making village heads (sabhukus) were a primary focus on my desk. In just two weeks, when we were assigned to conduct a national sweep of the most affected areas, we uncovered 11 650 hectares of land that had been sold, with over 3 000 village heads implicated,” Eng Muguti said.
Having now transitioned full-time to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Eng Muguti warned that he will dig deeper into the illegal land deals and that arrests are on the horizon.
“There are over 3 000 of them (village heads), and fortunately I have now arrived—so we will soon start arresting them,” he added.
Eng Muguti also revealed that village heads will not be spared even if they did not directly receive money from land sales.
Any traditional leader who turned a blind eye to illegal land occupations or failed to report new developments to their superiors or the police will be held accountable.
“Any village head who is involved, or who failed to report an invasion to the headman, chief, or police—and simply allowed it to happen—is equally guilty of dereliction of duty. Corruption takes two forms: receiving a bribe, or looking the other way,” he said.
“We shall be suspending village heads in any village where stands have been pegged without being reported, and where leaders are cohabiting with illegal settlers. Once found guilty, those suspended village heads will be arrested.”
Eng Muguti also dismissed the widespread misconception that traditional leaders are exempt from legal prosecution.
“I would like to state clearly that there has been a myth that traditional leaders cannot be arrested or prosecuted before the courts of law. I want to demystify that myth: the only person with immunity from arrest in this country is the President. Everyone else must answer for themselves in court,” he said.
To bolster accountability, Eng Muguti revealed that the Ministry has established its first-ever Department of Research and Investigations.
The new department will investigate chieftainship conflicts, service delivery complaints, and criminal allegations levelled against traditional leaders.
Addressing broader conduct, Eng Muguti expressed concern over unbecoming behaviour among certain traditional leaders.
He announced that the Government will issue an official circular outlining ethical standards and urged the National Council of Chiefs, led by the president, Senator Chief Mtshane Khumalo, to assist through structured training programmes.
