“We are restoring order in the local authorities” Min Garwe

Land barons under probe

Itai Mazire

Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe says Government is rolling out a raft of decisive measures to restore order in the local authorities, clamp down on land barons and regularise settlements as Zimbabwe enters 2026, in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030.

In an interview, Minister Garwe said his ministry had intensified efforts to dismantle illegal land dealings that have seen thousands of unsuspecting home seekers duped into buying land on wetlands and undesignated areas by land barons operating across the country.

“We are no longer going to tolerate chaos in the land delivery system,” he said. “Land barons have thrived on disorder, exploiting desperate home seekers and selling land on wetlands and other prohibited areas. That era is coming to an end.”

He said investigations were already underway, with law enforcement agencies working closely with his ministry to bring all offenders to book.

“Investigations are in progress countrywide, and I want to make it very clear that no one will be spared. Those who illegally parcel out land, forge documents and destroy the environment will face the full wrath of the law.”

Minister Garwe said Government was prioritising the intensive regularisation of settlements, stressing that all housing developments must be well-documented, properly planned and compliant with national standards.

“We are moving towards an orderly, transparent and accountable housing delivery system. All housing schemes must be regularised, properly surveyed, serviced and approved. This is the only way to protect citizens and ensure sustainable urban development,” he said.

Minister Garwe said the rapid sprouting of squatter camps in both urban and rural areas was a concern, noting that Government was finalising measures to deal humanely with the growing phenomenon while restoring planning order.

“We acknowledge the reality of increasing squatter settlements, both in urban centres and rural areas. Government will not turn a blind eye to the plight of homeless citizens, but we will also not allow lawlessness. Plans are underway to resettle affected families in a dignified and orderly manner,” he said.

On service delivery, Minister Garwe said his ministry was working to bring the Geo Pomona waste management model into conformity across the country, beginning with major cities.

“We are standardising service delivery, particularly waste management, and the Geo Pomona model is being aligned and adapted for replication across major urban centres. Clean cities are a pillar of modern urban governance.”

Turning to health delivery, Minister Garwe said local authorities were being repositioned to play a stronger role in both urban and rural health services, with inter-ministerial engagements already underway.

“Health delivery is a key mandate of local authorities. We are engaging relevant ministries to ensure that councils are capacitated to deliver quality primary health care services in both rural and urban areas as we march towards 2030.”

He said the interventions being implemented by his ministry were central to the realisation of President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy.

“All these programmes orderly housing, clean cities, planned settlements and improved health delivery speak directly to His Excellency President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030.

As the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, we are fully aligned and committed to delivering on that national vision,” said Minister Garwe.