Zimbabwe: Govt Issues Final Warning On Illegal Land Sales

What the report says

AllAfrica, republishing a New Zimbabwe report dated 30 July 2026, says Zimbabwe’s government has issued what it described as a final warning to people involved in illegal land sales. The warning targets alleged “land barons,” illegal land dealers, and traditional leaders such as headmen and village heads accused of taking part in unlawful land allocations.

According to the report, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said in a statement issued Wednesday that enforcement action had been stepped up after a directive from President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Garwe said identified offenders would face arrest and prosecution, and that traditional leaders convicted over illegal land sales could also be removed from office under Zimbabwe’s legal framework, including laws governing traditional leaders.

The report says the government is deploying multi-agency teams made up of law enforcement bodies, local authorities and the Chiefs Council of Zimbabwe to investigate and break up networks involved in unlawful occupation, subdivision and sale of public land. Authorities are also said to be increasing scrutiny of people or entities presenting themselves as land developers, housing cooperatives or land agents.

New Zimbabwe’s report frames the crackdown against a longer-running problem in which State, local authority and communal land has allegedly been occupied, subdivided and sold for private gain. It says the practice has contributed to unplanned settlements, environmental damage, disputes over land and losses for home seekers. Garwe urged prospective buyers to check ownership, planning permission and development authority with the relevant offices before purchasing, warning that illegally acquired land offers no legal protection.