Government Escalates War on Illegal ‘Sabhuku Deals’ as Provincial Chiefs Ordered to Expose Land Syndicates

Thembelihle Mhlanga

The Zimbabwean government has launched what appears to be its strongest coordinated response yet against the illegal sale of communal and state land, ordering provincial authorities across the country to identify and expose areas affected by the notorious “Sabhuku Deals.”
In a directive issued through the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), all Provincial Secretaries for Provincial Affairs and Devolution were instructed to urgently compile and submit detailed information on illegal land allocations and settlements operating within their provinces.

The order was contained in an official memorandum signed by Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution in the OPC, signalling growing concern at the highest levels of government over the unchecked rise of illegal land syndicates.
The crackdown targets the widespread practice in which some village heads, chiefs, politically connected intermediaries, and self-styled land barons illegally parcel out communal or state land to desperate home seekers without legal authority, title deeds, or approved development plans.

“As you may be aware, the country is seized with ‘Sabhuku Deals’ issues bedevilling communities across the country,” Eng. Muguti said in the memorandum.

The directive gave provincial administrations a strict deadline to report affected areas to the presidency.

“In this regard, you are being requested to furnish this Office with information on ‘Sabhuku Deals’ affected areas occurring within your Province, on or before the 15th of May 2026,” the memo reads.

The latest move highlights government fears over what officials view as the emergence of a dangerous parallel land administration system operating outside Zimbabwe’s legal framework governing communal land.
Under Zimbabwean law, communal land is vested in the President and administered through established legal structures. Traditional leaders do not have legal authority to commercially sell or permanently allocate communal land.
Authorities say illegal settlements have mushroomed particularly in peri-urban areas surrounding major cities such as Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, and Masvingo, where demand for affordable housing has surged amid Zimbabwe’s worsening urban accommodation crisis.
Thousands of home seekers have reportedly purchased unserviced residential stands lacking roads, sewer systems, water infrastructure, and proper town planning approvals.

In many cases, buyers later discover the land was illegally allocated, triggering demolitions, evictions, ownership disputes, and violent conflicts between communities and rival land claimants.
The OPC memorandum makes clear that the information-gathering exercise is intended to pave the way for stronger enforcement action and possible regularisation measures.

“This information is required in order to stamp out illegal parcelling of land rampant within communities against the dictates of the Constitution, Acts and Statutory Instruments on land ownership and Communal land administration in the country,” Eng. Muguti stated.
Government insiders say authorities are increasingly worried that illegal settlements are expanding faster than local authorities can regulate them, creating long-term urban planning, environmental, and governance problems.

The memorandum was copied to senior government officials, including Dr. Martin Rushwaya, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, as well as all Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution — a sign that the operation carries significant political and administrative backing.

The latest crackdown now raises major questions about how government intends to deal with thousands of families already occupying illegally acquired land across the country.

Previous government operations targeting illegal settlements have often resulted in demolitions, evictions, and prolonged legal disputes, leaving vulnerable families stranded after investing life savings into unregulated land purchases.
Authorities have repeatedly warned citizens against buying land without council approval, title deeds, or verified documentation, stressing that many buyers are being exploited by sophisticated syndicates operating under the protection of corrupt officials and traditional leaders.

With the reporting deadline now passed, attention is shifting to whether the state will move aggressively against the alleged land barons behind the schemes — and whether politically connected individuals implicated in the illegal land trade will also face prosecution.