Land disputes dominate traditional court hearings

Published: 19 September 2025

Land disputes are increasingly overshadowing other cases in Zimbabwe's traditional courts, with Chief Wozhele's latest session in Sanyati consumed by quarrels over boundaries and inherited fields.

At a court session last week, most cases centred on contested plots, with families accusing neighbours of shifting boundary markers, while others charged village heads with allocating land outside their jurisdictions.

One heated case involved cousins Jethro Mashame and Aaron Muketiwa, who are locked in a battle over a field.

"I bought this piece of land from Muketiwa's son, Mduduzi, when he got a new plot. I paid him money and a cow," Mashame told the court.

But Muketiwa rejected the claim, insisting the land belonged to him since his son had no authority to sell it. Chief Wozhele directed both men to return for the next court session with Mduduzi present to clarify the matter.

In another dispute, Lloyd Chiriseri accused his nephew Kudakwashe of encroaching on land he inherited from his late father.

"This land was given to me by my father, and we have cultivated it since then. My sister and I even plan to build a clinic here," Lloyd said.

Kudakwashe, however, argued that his own father—Lloyd's brother—had given him the plot.

A separate matter saw a village head accused of encroaching into another leader's territory by allocating land to new settlers.

"We cannot have two chiefs in one area. Boundaries must be respected," warned Chief Wozhele, born Caiphus Chikwata, adding that such practices breed division and confusion.

The chief cautioned that unresolved land disputes threaten unity within communities.

"Land is our lifeblood. It feeds us and connects us to our ancestors. When people fight over it, they risk breaking the very fabric of our society," he said.

Residents said they preferred the chief's court to state institutions, praising it for offering culturally rooted solutions.
"Here, we speak openly and elders guide us. At the magistrates' court, it is just judgment without reconciliation," said one villager.

Authorities have also raised concerns over illegal land transactions. Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe recently warned traditional leaders against selling communal land, saying chiefs must uphold the Customary Law and Local Courts Act, the Communal Lands Act, and the Constitution.

The surge in disputes reflects growing pressure on communal land, driven by rising populations and blurred boundaries. In Sanyati, many people are leaving Arda growth point for rural land, while elsewhere families are flocking to the peripheries of Harare in Domboshava, Goromonzi, and Seke.
- Southern Eye

Tags: Land,