When the High Court ordered a former Minister to vacate a 40-hectare farm within seven days, branding her “duplicitous,” it opened a Pandora’s Box of the “Land Reform’s” dirty secrets. This isn’t just a legal dispute between a housing cooperative and a politician; it is a window into how the “One Man, One Farm” policy is being ignored by the elite while ordinary citizens struggle for a place to build a home. Our investigation uncovers the “Double Allocation” racket. We show how the same piece of land is often “sold” to a housing cooperative and “allocated” to a political heavyweight simultaneously. In this case, the Minister thought her “status” made her untouchable. We simplify the court’s findings to show how she used “fraudulent documents” to claim land that had already been earmarked for low-income housing.
The central figure in this unfolding drama is Nyasha Chikwinya, the former Minister for Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development. For years, she held onto a 40-hectare slice of Glen Forest in the Goromonzi District, claiming it was hers under the national land reform programme. However, High Court Judge Justice Rodgers Manyangadze recently pulled back the curtain on what he described as a series of “dishonest” and “inconsistent” claims. The land she occupied was never truly hers to keep for agricultural use; it was part of a larger 150.27-hectare parcel specifically allocated for urban development to the Mama Mafuyana Housing Co-operative.
This story is a “documentary” on the “New Land Barons.” We explain how “offer letters” are being used as currency in a shadow economy. By analysing this specific case, we show the average Zimbabwean that the “Land is the Economy” slogan has been hijacked. We ask: how many other “Ministers” are sitting on land meant for the people? This is investigative journalism that exposes the “Dishonesty” at the top and celebrates a rare victory for the “Housing Cooperatives” who fought back. The ruling effectively clears the way for the housing co-operative to proceed with its urban development project, providing homes for over a hundred subscribing members who had been held back by a single powerful individual.
The court’s findings were scathing. Justice Manyangadze noted that Chikwinya had already been offered alternative land as compensation — a substantial 84.027 hectares plus an additional 10 hectares — in “full and final settlement” of her claims. Yet, she continued to occupy the 40 hectares belonging to the co-operative. The judge found it “mind-boggling” that one individual would demand so much land at the expense of a housing co-operative representing hundreds of families. In his judgment, he stated: “She concealed from the court the crucial fact that she had been compensated… The applicant is being duplicitous and dishonest”. He further added, “Considering all these factors cumulatively, the first defendant cannot be regarded as a credible witness”.
The “Double Allocation” racket is a sophisticated scam that has become a hallmark of Zimbabwe’s land management system. It involves government officials issuing documentation for the same piece of land to two different parties—usually a group of ordinary citizens, like a housing co-operative, and a politically connected individual. This creates a legal and social quagmire where the “elite” use their influence to bully the “commoners” off the land. In the case of Glen Forest, both the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Local Government eventually had to step in to confirm that Chikwinya’s offer letter had been cancelled and that the housing co-operative was the rightful developer.
This phenomenon is not isolated to Goromonzi. Recent reports from across the country show a disturbing pattern of land being used as a political tool. In December 2024, a major scandal rocked the Hopley Housing Co-operative when an internal audit exposed widespread double allocations. Residents who had paid their hard-earned money for stands found that the same plots had been sold to others, often with the blessing of corrupt officials. One such case involved Stand 9514, where two different individuals claimed ownership after paying significant sums to the co-operative’s management.
The “One Man, One Farm” policy, a cornerstone of the original land reform movement, was designed to ensure that land was distributed fairly among Zimbabweans. However, the reality on the ground tells a different story. While the average citizen struggles to secure even a small residential stand, the political elite have amassed vast tracts of land. Reports have surfaced of high-ranking officials and their families owning dozens of farms. For instance, it has been alleged that the late President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace, and daughter, Bona, controlled multiple properties, some reports suggesting as many as 21 farms. This blatant disregard for the policy has turned land into a status symbol for the powerful rather than a resource for the nation.
In October 2025, another “double allocation” incident made headlines when the government ordered the eviction of 300 property owners along Airport Road to make way for a church project. The move was widely condemned as fraudulent, with critics pointing out that the City Council could not legally reallocate land that had already been sold and paid for. These incidents highlight the precarious nature of land ownership in Zimbabwe, where an “offer letter” can be rendered “null and void” at the whim of a powerful official or through a court order that exposes the underlying “dishonesty.”
The High Court’s decision to brand a former Minister as “duplicitous” is a rare and significant moment of accountability. It sends a message that the “status” of an individual does not place them above the law. For the members of the Mama Mafuyana Housing Co-operative, this is more than just a legal victory; it is a validation of their years of struggle. They fought against a “New Land Baron” who used “fraudulent documents” and “inconsistent” testimony to deny them their right to a home. The judge was clear: “She should confine herself to the boundaries of the land offered to her. That settles the matter”.
The shadow economy of land deals is fuelled by the lack of transparency in how “offer letters” are issued and tracked. These letters, which are supposed to be official government documents, are often traded like currency in backroom deals. Land barons, often in cahoots with municipal officials, occupy and subdivide state land, selling it to unsuspecting home seekers who are desperate for a place to live. When the government eventually moves to “regularise” these settlements, the victims are often the ones who lose everything, while the barons walk away with their profits.
In January 2026, the High Court took a stand against this practice by muzzling 11 land barons who had engaged in years of “dishonest and vexatious litigation”. These individuals had unlawfully occupied land since 2003 and used the court system to delay their inevitable eviction. By shutting the courtroom doors on them, the judiciary is finally starting to address the “Pandora’s Box” of land corruption. This shift is essential if the “Land is the Economy” slogan is ever to regain its original meaning for the average Zimbabwean.
The struggle for land in Zimbabwe is a reflection of the broader struggle for justice and equality. The “One Man, One Farm” policy was a promise of fairness that has been hijacked by those at the top. The case of Nyasha Chikwinya is a reminder that the elite often view land as a “gift” to be hoarded rather than a responsibility to be shared. Her attempt to hold onto 40 hectares of land meant for housing, even after being compensated with nearly 100 hectares elsewhere, is a clear example of the “dishonesty” that has permeated the system.
As we look at the ruins of these land deals, we must ask: how many other “Ministers” are sitting on land meant for the people? The “New Land Barons” are not just individuals; they are a symptom of a system that rewards loyalty over legality. The victory for the Mama Mafuyana Housing Co-operative is a small but important step toward dismantling this system. It proves that when ordinary citizens organise and fight back through the courts, they can occasionally overcome the “status” and “influence” of the elite.
The investigative process reveals that the “Double Allocation” racket is not just a series of administrative errors; it is a deliberate strategy used to maintain political control and personal wealth. By issuing multiple offer letters, officials create a dependency where individuals must remain in the good graces of the party to keep their land. This “shadow economy” undermines the rule of law and leaves thousands of Zimbabweans in a state of permanent insecurity. The High Court’s ruling in the Chikwinya case is a beacon of hope in this murky landscape.
In conclusion, the eviction of Nyasha Chikwinya from the 40-hectare farm in Goromonzi is a victory for the “Housing Cooperatives” and a defeat for the “New Land Barons.” It exposes the “Dishonesty” at the top and the “fraudulent documents” used to maintain an unfair status quo. While the “Land Reform” programme had noble goals, the reality has been marred by “double allocations” and the greed of the elite. This article celebrates the resilience of those who fought back and calls for a renewed commitment to the “One Man, One Farm” policy. The land belongs to the people, not just the powerful, and it is time for the “Land is the Economy” slogan to serve everyone, not just a select few.
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