Vusumuzi Dube
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
RUTENGA Growth Point in Mwenezi district, Masvingo Province has been rocked by illegal subdivision and sale of state land with the rural district council issuing a stern warning against the perpetrators saying it will take action that might cost them a fortune.
In a public notice recently, Mwenezi Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer Mr Albert Chivanga said the council has taken note of unscrupulous SMEs stands land dealings that have been happening within Rutenga Growth Point.
“The practice is being spearheaded by individuals who claim to be members of the Chamber with a strong political connection to the extent that they have taken the law into their hands and started subdividing and selling State land to prospective developers.
“Of recent, so many land seekers have been duped by being allocated such stands adjacent to the Mapfura Processing Plant. So dismal is the present state of affairs that land is being parcelled out wantonly by such individuals for the reason assumed to be of financial gain,” said Mr Chivanga.
He said not only does the whole fiasco distort the principle of proper spatial planning but in the process, also endangers human lives hence members of the public should desist from entering into such deals since that may cost them a fortune.
“Those who have acquired such stands under such means are advised that Mwenezi Rural District Council shall not tolerate this deplorable state of affairs and are directed to stop any further developments forthwith
“Where developments had started, structures should be demolished by their owners without fail, failure of which Council will take further action, however at much higher costs. Neither compensations nor regularizations are going to be entertained on this very serious issue,” said Mr Chivanga.
Earlier this year Government deployed the police to ensure all illegal settlers on State agriculture land immediately vacate the affected places as it sought to restore order and reverse the mayhem that has been created by land barons.
Masvingo is also among the affected provinces with hundreds of individuals in all the seven districts of Masvingo province — Bikita, Chiredzi, Gutu, Masvingo, Mwenezi and Zaka, said to be riddled with illegal settlers.
In a press statement early this year, Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira, said the Government would not tolerate unauthorised occupation of State land and warned that those doing so would face the wrath of the law.
“If you are illegally settling on communal land, local authority land, State land, peri-urban land, rural service centre or growth point land, you are advised to vacate immediately and follow due processes in acquiring land,” he said.
Government is on record condemning without any reservation the illegal settlements, occupations, parcelling out and sale of the aforementioned land without the permission of the relevant authority.
It is a criminal offense in terms of the Zimbabwe Land Commission Act (Chapter 20:29) and the Gazetted Lands (Consequential Provisions) Act (Chapter 20:28), to occupy State land without lawful authority in the form of a Permit, an Offer Letter or a Lease.
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Bongani Ndlovu