Parliament has named and shamed some land barons that have been illegally parcelling out land in Chitungwiza. A recent report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government led by Irene Zindi listed the land barons as

• Fredrick Mabamba of United We Stand Multi-Purpose Cooperative
• Zanu PF’s Chitungwiza South MP Christopher Chigumba
• Boniface Manyonganise of Yamurai Disabled Co-operative
• Mrs Manhango of Chitungwiza Ruvimbo Housing Cooperative
• Mr Makuchete
• Major T Marufu
• Mr and Mrs Chivhanga of Zanoremba Housing Co-operative.

Land barons have wreaked havoc in Chitungwiza since 2010, creating a parallel land authority, that had its own architects, town planners building inspectors and housing officers.

They allegedly allocated people land on wetlands, illegally subdivided and allocated state land. Some of the land that was illegally sold to unsuspecting house seekers was on top of sewer pipes, electricity pylons, as well as at sites meant for roads, schools, clinics and recreational facilities.

As a result of the illegal allocations by the land barons, several people lost thousands of dollars after being swindled of their hard-earned cash.

Others had structures that they had built on the illegal sites destroyed by council bulldozers and were rendered homeless.