26/05/2026
Contradictoriness of Land Laws in Zimbabwe Responsible for the Mushrooming Sabhuku Land Deals
By Claris Madhuku
Sabhuku land deals refer to informal and illegal land transactions involving village heads (sabhukus) who allocate or sell communal or state land to home-seekers without legal authority. The practice has become widespread across Zimbabwe, particularly in peri-urban areas, but it remains largely misunderstood by the general public. While traditional leaders are often portrayed as the main perpetrators, the issue is far more complex and deeply connected to contradictions within Zimbabwe’s land administration system.
In May 2026, the Government of Zimbabwe, through the Office of the President and Cabinet, issued a directive ordering Provincial Secretaries for Provincial Affairs and Devolution to compile detailed information on Sabhuku land deals within their respective provinces. The directive reflects growing concern at national level over the expansion of illegal settlements, land barons, and unauthorized transactions involving communal and state land.
However, government intervention alone will not end the practice. Since 2020, the issue of Sabhuku land deals has remained under national spotlight, with senior government officials repeatedly warning against illegal land transactions. In March 2026, Obert Jiri, the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, urged traditional leaders to stop unauthorized land allocations and work closely with Rural District Councils. In May 2026, Daniel Garwe, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, reinforced the same position by warning that government would not protect or regularize properties acquired through Sabhuku land deals.
The campaign against illegal settlements has resulted in more than 5 000 arrests and over 1 000 convictions involving village heads, land barons, and illegal settlers. Despite these arrests and demolitions, the practice continues to spread, demonstrating that the problem cannot be resolved through law enforcement alone.
This article argues that Sabhuku land deals are a reflection of the contradictions embedded within Zimbabwe’s land laws. The overlapping provisions found in the Traditional Leaders Act, the Rural District Councils Act, the Communal Lands Act, the Land Acquisition Act, and the Urban Councils Act have created confusion regarding authority, administration, and control over land. This contradiction weakens traditional leadership structures and exposes village heads to manipulation by politically connected land barons who often remain protected and insulated from prosecution.
The lack of clarity on who has the authority to allocate land, issue offer letters, or regularize settlements has created opportunities for syndicates to exploit desperate home-seekers. In many peri-urban communities, the demand for land has grown beyond the capacity of formal land allocation systems. As a result, vulnerable citizens turn to traditional leaders because they are accessible and trusted within local communities.
Traditional leaders, however, do not possess legal authority to sell communal land. Their role under the Traditional Leaders Act is to allocate and administer communal land according to customary norms and family traditions. Yet because of poverty, political pressure, weak institutional coordination, and interference by powerful actors, many village heads have become entangled in illegal land transactions that ultimately benefit land barons more than local communities.
The contradiction becomes even more evident where communal land is converted into urban settlements, growth points, or agricultural projects without proper consultation and coordination between Rural District Councils, traditional leadership, and central government authorities. This institutional confusion creates loopholes that are abused by politically connected individuals who use traditional leaders as fronts in illegal land deals.
The current crackdown and demolition campaigns, while necessary in addressing lawlessness, appear inconsistent and reactive rather than preventive and policy-driven. Arresting village heads without addressing the structural contradictions within Zimbabwe’s land laws will not permanently solve the problem.
As a way forward, Zimbabwe needs comprehensive land law harmonisation that clearly defines the powers and responsibilities of traditional leaders, Rural District Councils, and central government institutions. There is also urgent need for awareness campaigns and training programmes targeted at traditional leaders, councils, and communities so that citizens understand lawful land allocation procedures and the dangers associated with illegal settlements.
The role of traditional leadership in communal land administration must still be preserved because customary systems remain important in protecting community identity and facilitating intergenerational land transfer. However, this role should operate within a transparent and coordinated legal framework that prevents abuse by land barons and politically connected syndicates.
To effectively curb Sabhuku land deals, Zimbabwe must move beyond arrests and demolitions and focus on resolving the contradictions within its land laws while strengthening institutional accountability, public awareness, and coordinated land governance systems
Fepa
MISA Zimbabwe
Media Centre - Zimbabwe
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Plan International Zimbabwe
Zimcodd
Chipinge Town Council
Green Institute
Alliance of Community Based Organisations - ACBOs
