Harare, Zimbabwe ( News of The South)- A contentious land dispute surrounding Arlington Estate near Harare has taken a dramatic turn, with Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe facing serious allegations of fraudulently facilitating the takeover of land that has reportedly belonged to a housing cooperative since 2006. The Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative claims that Minister Garwe manipulated documents to benefit PPC Zimbabwe, a move that has inadvertently drawn President Emmerson Mnangagwa into the messy affair.
According to High Court summons and supporting documentation presented by the Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative, the government had offered them 530.25 hectares of Subdivision E of Arlington Estate back in 2006 for the express purpose of constructing housing. Despite the layout plan still awaiting formal approval from the Local Government Ministry, the cooperative asserts that the original offer remains valid.
“One of the beneficiaries of this illegal process is PPC Zimbabwe. It is illegal because Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative’s offer letter for the same land was never withdrawn,” the court summons reportedly states, highlighting the core of the cooperative’s grievance.
The court documents further reveal that PPC Zimbabwe presented an offer letter dated February 9, 2024, after being instructed to remove billboards they had erected, which falsely claimed ownership of the property. This was followed by the presentation of a Deed of Transfer (No: 6168/2024) from the Sheriff of the High Court, dated March of this year, during subsequent legal proceedings.
The Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative alleges that PPC Zimbabwe continued to produce documents throughout the court application, fundamentally altering the nature of the case. Consequently, the cooperative decided to abandon its initial application to pursue a motion to quash the proceedings, which they now deem “meaningless” due to the alleged manipulation of evidence.
“It is clear that this was a calculated and well-coordinated plan to take over land which had already been allocated to the Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative,” the cooperative asserts, painting a picture of a deliberate and potentially illegal land grab.
Intriguingly, the land in question was previously held by Portland and was gazetted for compulsory acquisition with the intended purpose of expanding the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, including the construction of an additional runway. This prior designation granted the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) the authority to provide input on matters concerning the land.
Adding weight to the Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative’s claims, they possess a 2011 letter from CAAZ explicitly authorising their application to subdivide the remainder of Arlington Estate for residential development. The letter, dated October 26, 2011, and signed by a P.T Dohwe, clearly states that “CAAZ cleared your application and the development should be carried out according to the requirements listed by the Harare City Council Combination Master Plan.”
Furthermore, a letter of support from the Local Government Ministry itself, dated November 30, 2010, explicitly acknowledges Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative’s ownership of the land. “This letter serves to confirm that Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative is known and recognised by the office of the Governor and Resident Minister and that it is based at Arlington Estate Subdivision E,” reads the letter signed by then Acting District Administrator Godfrey Maeresa.
These corroborating documents have fueled the cooperative’s allegations that Minister Garwe may have acted unlawfully in parcelling out the land to PPC Zimbabwe, especially given the prior allocation and the supporting documentation in their possession.
The situation took a notable turn when President Mnangagwa was invited to officially hand over a portion of the Arlington Estate land – reportedly the same land now in dispute – to PPC Zimbabwe just last month. This event was publicly lauded as a demonstration of the President’s commitment to industrialisation, private sector support, and the attainment of the Vision 2030 economic development agenda. At the handover ceremony, PPC Zimbabwe reportedly presented President Mnangagwa with 60 tonnes of cement.
However, the revelations by the Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative cast a dark shadow over this narrative, suggesting that the land handover might have been based on potentially fraudulent transactions and a disregard for existing land rights.
The unfolding saga raises serious questions about the legality and transparency of land allocation processes in Zimbabwe and the potential involvement of high-ranking government officials in questionable dealings. As the Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative pursues legal avenues to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs, the spotlight will undoubtedly intensify on Minister Garwe and the circumstances surrounding the transfer of the Arlington Estate land, potentially creating an unwelcome political headache for President Mnangagwa. The drama surrounding Arlington Estate appears far from over, with significant implications for property rights and the rule of law in the country.
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