Years of Savings at Risk as Army Orders Gutu Stand Buyers Out

GUTU — About 600 home-seekers who bought residential stands from Gutu Rural District Council face losing their investments after the Zimbabwe National Army ordered them off Gertnel Farm at Chatsworth Business Centre, according to Masvingo Mirror.

The newspaper reports that the army claims ownership of the land, where the council began selling residential stands in 2018.

Some buyers have completed houses and moved in, while others are still building.

One resident told Masvingo Mirror that soldiers had been deployed to stop further development.

Buyers reportedly paid US$3,000 or more for their stands and hold council-issued documents, including leases and inspection forms.

Gutu RDC chief executive officer Alexander Mutembwa confirmed the dispute and said the local authority was engaging the army.

Mutembwa said a meeting with military leadership would seek to clarify the boundaries. Asked about compensation if the stands could not be regularised, he said discussions had not reached that stage.

The report says 4 Brigade public relations officer Emmanuel Muchazivepi referred questions to the ZNA Public Relations Directorate in Harare.

An unnamed senior military official maintained that the farm had belonged to the army since the Rhodesian era. The official disputed the legitimacy of the transactions and said the army would not accept responsibility for them.

Residents, however, said they purchased the stands directly from council.

Affected buyer Rejoice Nheya, told Masvingo Mirror that beneficiaries were shocked because they held official paperwork confirming their purchases.

Another resident, who declined to be named, said he bought a stand in 2022 while serving at 4.3 Brigade in Gutu. He alleged that military leaders had assured officers there was no problem with buying the stands.

The resident said he had invested more than US$3,000 and claimed that more than 15 military officers had also purchased stands in the area. Those claims were not independently verified.

Tafara Chavizha said residents had held several meetings with council but were still waiting for a resolution.

The report also cited a military source who challenged the army’s ownership account, alleging that the Chatsworth land had only been borrowed temporarily.

The conflicting accounts leave the ownership and boundary questions unresolved. The supplied report does not establish an eviction deadline, a compensation agreement or a final settlement.