By Agriculture Reporter–The government has issued a chilling warning to thousands of rural dwellers occupying unsanctioned State land, ordering them to “immediately vacate” or face prosecution—drawing comparisons to the infamous Operation Murambatsvina of 2005.
In a statement at the weekend, Lands and Agriculture Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said there had been a surge in illegal occupations of agricultural land across the country.
He reiterated that only the Agriculture, Minister has the legal authority to allocate gazetted land.
“Once again, may I remind the public that, in terms of the Gazetted Lands (Consequential Provisions) Act [Chapter 20:28], it is a crime to occupy rural State land without authority,” Masuka warned. “All illegal occupiers should immediately vacate such land. Failure to comply may result in prosecution.”
The government has urged the public to report suspected illegal occupiers to nearby Lands offices or police stations, even providing a mobile number for tip-offs.
Masuka also called on holders of A2 offer letters or permits to approach Lands offices to expedite the processing of their title deeds, stating that “land is an economic asset” central to the realisation of the government’s Vision 2030 agenda.
The latest crackdown has revived painful memories of Operation Murambatsvina (“Restore Order”), the 2005 state-led campaign that displaced over 700,000 people across Zimbabwe’s urban centres.
The operation, sanctioned by then-President Robert Mugabe, was presented as a clean-up drive targeting illegal structures and informal businesses.
However, human rights organisations, including the United Nations, condemned it as politically motivated and brutally executed.
Murambatsvina disproportionately affected the urban poor, most of whom were perceived to be opposition supporters. Entire neighbourhoods were razed overnight, with families left homeless and livelihoods destroyed.
The UN Special Envoy, Anna Tibaijuka, described the operation as a “disastrous venture” that violated international human rights standards.
While the 2005 campaign primarily targeted urban areas, critics argue that the latest threats of eviction mark an extension of the same authoritarian logic—this time into the countryside.
State-sanctioned evictions have long been a feature of Zimbabwe’s land governance.
In the 2000s, the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme saw thousands of white commercial farmers removed from their properties, often violently, to make way for land redistribution to black Zimbabweans.
While the programme corrected colonial-era injustices, it was marred by corruption, political patronage, and chaotic implementation.
More recently, informal settlers in areas like Caledonia, Budiriro, and Chitungwiza have been forcibly removed, often without proper notice or compensation.
The government has justified these evictions on grounds of planning violations, but human rights observers note that such actions often align with political agendas, particularly in pre- or post-election periods.
In rural areas, traditional leaders—some aligned with the ruling party—have been accused of illegally parceling out State land in exchange for loyalty or financial kickbacks.
This has led to growing disputes, disorganised settlements, and a breakdown in land-use planning.
While the government insists the clampdown is meant to restore order and protect agricultural productivity, critics warn it may be a veiled attempt to consolidate political control in rural areas—especially in the wake of internal Zanu PF power struggles and rising rural discontent over land tenure insecurity.
“The language used is eerily familiar,” said a land rights activist who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Murambatsvina was about more than buildings—it was about controlling people and punishing dissent. These rural evictions could be about controlling the rural vote.”