Nipping illegal land deals in the bud

WITH the growing population in cities, the demand for houses and residential stands has been rising over the years.

However, the acquisition of a house or residential stand in an urban set-up comes at a high cost.

Subsequently, this has seen home seekers turning to peri-urban areas in search of land at relatively lower prices.

This rising demand for stands in communal lands and peri-urban areas has resulted in some villagers sub-dividing their land, including that originally reserved for agriculture and other purposes.

As a result, parceling out of State land in undesignated places, mostly by village heads, is becoming a common occurrence across the country and Manicaland is no exception.

The unscrupulous traditional leaders involved pocket the proceeds from such land transactions, commonly referred to as “Sabhuku deals”, and sometimes have their palms greased to speed up the unprocedural process.

However, the allocation of such land has come with its share of problems whose repercussions are far-reaching.

Naturally, it creates pressure on demand for social services. Schools and clinics in the affected areas are getting overwhelmed as the population rises fast without corresponding development in social amenities.

Experts in housing development have pointed out that the prevailing disorderliness in these settlement areas will create headaches as cities expand and incorporate smart city concepts in tandem with global trends.

Acrimonious disputes have also arisen due to double allocations by fraudsters, while land barons are also make a killing by duping unsuspecting villagers of their ancestral land for resale to home-seekers from the city.

Others are also losing money to swindlers without getting the sought land through the exploitation of land seekers’ desperation.

Mushrooming illegal settlements that result in structures being put up haphazardly must be nipped in the bud. If left unchecked, this will lead to the establishment of chaotic settlements. These settlements are also ticking time bombs as hygienic standards are usually compromised.

Unauthorised land dealings and unplanned settlements are also a negation to the protection of wetlands. They heavily compromise the effective management of grazing land and pose a serious threat to communal food security and nutrition.

Land degradation is also accelerated by haphazard occupation of land, with dams bearing the full brunt of siltation.

It is great that the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Ministry has warned the devious village heads involved in such dealings that they will be prosecuted and risk jail.

Anyone involved in illegal land dealings must be brought to book and face the music despite their social standing.

To that end, Government has been carrying out capacity building workshops to sensitise traditional leaders on their role and ensure that they do not overstep their mandate in issues involving land and its distribution.

If land is to be given out or sold, it must be done procedurally and above board, without shortchanging anyone. The process must be properly regularised.

It is a criminal offence, 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 lease.

Land is only allocated by the rural district council concerned after the submission of names of those who require communal land. Allocation of land is not one of the duties of a village head as clearly spelt out in Section 12 of the Traditional Leaders Act 29:17.

Section 13 of the Traditional Leaders

Act 29:17 spells out the disciplinary action that will be taken in the event of a village head’s misconduct.