Two in Court for Illegal Land Seizure in Mabvuku

Munyaradzi Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

Two individuals who allegedly unlawfully seized an open space in Mabvuku and began selling plots to desperate home seekers have been brought before the courts.

Oliver Nhidza, 36, and Masimba Kamhiripiri, 35, both residents of East View Park Phase 1, appeared at the Harare Magistrates' Courts facing charges of unauthorized development. They were remanded to November 13 for further proceedings.

According to the State, in September, Nhidza and Kamhiripiri, along with accomplices who are still at large, reportedly took over an open space in Eastview Phase 7, Mabvuku, Harare. The group allegedly demarcated residential stands of varying sizes and sold the plots to unsuspecting home seekers, despite having no legal rights to the land or authority to undertake such developments.

The land in question had been designated by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works as a wetland and a buffer zone for stands in Eastview Phase 7, making any development in the area illegal.

The crime came to light when some beneficiaries of the illegal land sales began constructing on the site, prompting concerned residents to report the issue to the authorities, leading to the arrest of Nhidza and Kamhiripiri.