Police arrest 4 000 land barons

Police said on Tuesday almost 4 000 suspected land barons had been arrested since the launch of operation ‘No to Land Barons and Illegal Settlements in January. Police spokesperson assistant commissioner, Paul Nyathi said some of the suspects had already been tried in the courts and convicted for selling land without proper authority.

“As of 12 February 2024, a total of 3 775 suspects have (had) been arrested with 985 convictions made by the courts, while 3 360 cases are
pending trial,” he said.

He said notable arrests were made in Masvingo where 28 suspects were nabbed for allegedly illegally settling themselves in the Tokwe-Ngundu resettlement area.

In Mashonaland West province, 26 suspects in Karoi who were occupying grazing land and distributing gazetted land to their relatives at Lazy Five Farm were arrested and investigations carried out unearthed that the suspects were paying USD 15 or maize equivalent, to the plot holders.

In Matabeleland South, 123 suspects who illegally settled at Enyandeni Resettlement area in Gwanda were arrested, while in Matabeleland North 53-year-old Thulani Nzima was arrested for illegal allocation of land in which he allocated six residential stands to desperate home seekers in exchange for payment in Sganda, Nyamandlovu.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police will continue to issue regular updates on the operation to the public. Meanwhile, the police reiterate that the public should verify the status of any land before being settled or made to pay for the purported allocation or development,” warned Nyathi.

New Ziana