Sabhuku Deals Under The Spotlight: Minister Says No Village Head Can Sell State Land
Zimbabwe’s Government has declared war on illegal land allocations, warning that no village head, land baron or official has the authority to sell State land amid growing concern over controversial “sabhuku deals” in communal and peri-urban areas.
The warning was issued by newly appointed Lands and Rural Development Minister Vangelis Haritatos, revealing that authorities are now working with several Government departments and agencies to tighten land administration systems and crack down on unlawful allocations.
"Land allocation must remain legal, orderly and accountable. No village head, land baron or official has the authority to sell State land. The emergence of ‘sabhuku deals’ in communal and peri-urban areas is being treated as a serious governance issue."
Enforcing The Law
Government Moves Against Illegal Deals
Desperate home seekers have increasingly fallen victim to illegal parcelling of land, prompting a massive inter-agency response.
Multi-Agency Taskforce
Coordinated operations involving the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, traditional leaders, rural district councils, the Zimbabwe Land Commission, and law-enforcement agencies are actively dismantling illegal networks.
Mapping & Verification Systems
The Government plans to verify questionable land allocations, enforce laws against illegal parcelling, and introduce rigorous spatial mapping systems for all approved land-use plans.
Protecting Desperate Home Seekers
With many citizens paying village heads for stands only to discover the land falls outside approved settlement plans, the Ministry is intensifying public education. Transparency is being prioritized so citizens clearly understand the proper channels for applying for land.
Use It Or Lose It
Land Audits And Idle Farms Targeted
The government is ramping up efforts to correct multiple farm ownership and deal with massively underutilized agricultural lands.
Deployment of Modern Technologies
Authorities will rely heavily on cutting-edge technologies, including drones and remote sensing systems, to objectively establish whether farms are being properly and fully utilized by their occupants.
Repossession & Downsizing
Minister Haritatos warned that land is a finite national resource. Where land is found to be unjustifiably idle, intervention may include repossession or downsizing. However, he clarified that the exercise will not unfairly target farmers struggling due to droughts or legitimate financial difficulties.
Agricultural Transformation
Focus On Productivity And Development
Beyond audits, the government’s broader plans target the systemic upliftment of rural communities.
Infrastructure Advancements
Authorities are prioritizing irrigation development, the installation of solar-powered boreholes, and the critical rehabilitation of feeder roads to support farming logistics.
Women & Youth In Agriculture
Minister Haritatos emphasized that youth and women are central to agricultural transformation and broader rural industrialization, promising targeted support programs for these demographics as underutilized land is transparently redistributed.
Global Compensation Deed
The Government reaffirmed its absolute commitment to compensating former white commercial farmers under the 2020 Global Compensation Deed, an ongoing initiative valued at approximately US$3.5 billion.
Ending The Sabhuku Scams
A New Era For Land Administration
The unequivocal stance taken by Lands and Rural Development Minister Vangelis Haritatos sends a clear message: State land is not for sale by unauthorized figures. For too long, rogue village heads and land barons have exploited desperate home seekers, leading to chaotic peri-urban sprawl and heartbreaking losses for citizens. By introducing multi-agency enforcement, drone mapping, and public education, the Government is taking long-overdue steps to restore sanity, order, and productivity to Zimbabwe's land tenure system.
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