180 Villagers in Gwanda District Face Court Over Land Occupation Allegations
Last week, 180 villagers from the Nyandeni area in Gwanda district, Matabeleland South, found themselves in court, accused of unlawfully occupying State land at the Hollins Block Estate earlier this month.
Represented by legal counsel from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Mr. Jabulani Mhlanga and Mitchell Chigova of Mabhikwa and Partners Legal Practitioners, the group appeared in court last Friday. They were remanded out of custody until March 26th for trial proceedings to commence.
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During the court appearance, the villagers contested the charges through their lawyer, Mr. Mhlanga, asserting insufficient evidence linking them to the alleged offense.
According to ZLHR, the villagers are accused of occupying State-gazetted land without lawful authority, as stipulated under Section 3 (1) (4) in conjunction with Section 5 of the Gazetted Land Consequential Provisions.
“The 180 villagers, who include a nonagenarian, octogenarian, septuagenarians, sexagenarians, and youths, were apprehended by Zimbabwe Republic Police officers on February 7, 2024, during a dragnet arrest. They were summarily charged with occupying gazetted land without lawful authority as defined in Section 3 (1) (4), as read with Section Five of the Gazetted Land Consequential Provisions,” said ZLHR.
“Prosecutors alleged that the 180 villagers, who reside in Nyandeni community in Gwanda North in Matabeleland South province, unlawfully held, used, or occupied land at Hollins Block Estate in Gwanda, which is gazetted land and without lawful authority.”
Since January, the government has intensified its crackdown on illegal settlements across the country, resulting in the arrest of over 3,700 suspected land barons and squatters. Among them, 985 have been convicted, while 3,360 cases are awaiting trial. This surge in enforcement comes in response to a recent rise in illegal settlements on agricultural land and pastures in both rural and urban areas. The government has issued orders for the individuals involved to vacate these areas promptly, warning of legal consequences for non-compliance.