Zimbabwe intensifies nationwide crackdown on illegal land barons

The Zimbabwean government announced an intensified nationwide crackdown on illegal land barons and rogue traditional leaders. Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said the operation follows a directive from President Emmerson Mnangagwa and will see the arrest, prosecution and, where convicted, removal from office of individuals involved in illegal occupation, subdivision and sale of state, local authority and communal land.

Multi‑agency enforcement teams comprising law‑enforcement agencies, local authorities and the Chiefs Council of Zimbabwe have been deployed to identify, investigate and dismantle criminal networks. The government warned that illegal land sales have fueled unplanned settlements, environmental degradation, land disputes and fraud against home seekers, and declared the era of lawlessness over.