LAND barons are reportedly wreaking havoc in Hunyani constituency, parcelling out land to desperate home-seekers, with some structures already erected near the Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant.
The illegal settlements are said to be expanding rapidly, with the land barons allegedly invoking Zanu PF in their operations.
The developments have sparked concern from political and local leadership, with Zanu PF officials and residents warning that the illegal land allocation poses environmental and infrastructure risks, particularly to the nearby Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant, while also triggering disputes over fraudulent land offers and arrests linked to resistance against encroachment.
Zanu PF Hunyani MP and Tourism deputy minister Tongai Mnangagwa said the perpetrators would be removed from the area.
Mnangagwa has written to Local Government ministry secretary John Basera, urging government intervention to halt what he described as illegal activities in Masango district.
NewsDay is in possession of a letter dated April 13, 2026, in which Mnangagwa requests government action against several co-operatives accused of spearheading the illegal developments.
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“I hereby write to your esteemed office, kindly requesting your ministry to stop the below (-listed) co-operatives which are conducting illegal activities within and outside Masango district,” he wrote.
Mnangagwa identified the co-operatives as Pungwe Chimurenga Co-operative, Good View Land Developer, Good View Community Trust, Good View Developers Community Housing.
“The district is farm-based and encompasses the Airport Compound, Butler Farm, Davis Granite, Koala, Prince Edward Water Works, among other special areas.
“Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated,” he said.
Mnangagwa confirmed writing the letter, saying authorities had begun investigations.
“I have engaged the Ministry of Local Government and they have done their investigations, and they [land barons] will be surely booted,” he said.
The land barons are also accused of cutting down trees indiscriminately, posing a threat to the nearby water treatment plant. They are further alleged to have built structures on top of a sludge pipeline that carries wastewater and sewage from the Prince Edward facility.
Zanu PF Masango branch chairperson Tongai Mandizha said some of the alleged land barons used fraudulent paperwork to justify their activities.
“The leaders of Pungwe Chimurenga Co-operative came all the way from Harare South Constituency with a fraudulent offer letter. It does not even have a reference number. They have pegged stands and some houses have already been built,” he said.
Zanu PF war veterans’ chairperson in Masango district, Simbarashe Chimbi, said the group’s activities led to the arrest of residents resisting the developments.
“They came with fake offer letters, and we have resisted the moves, but they are making people get arrested,” he said.
“The government should just stop this madness.”
However, Pungwe Chimurenga Co-operative secretary Nyasha Kandenga dismissed the allegations, insisting the organisation’s documentation is in order.
“This is a laughing matter because we have all the requirements. We have clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority, the Environmental Management Agency, the City of Harare and the Forestry Commission,” he said.
“I can assure you that all these are lies,” he added.