The State To Forfeit Land Barons' Assets

The government in a bid to fight graft has decided to forfeit assets belonging to Land Barons because they were bought with proceeds from illegally selling state and council land, The Herald reports.

The matter came to light during a meeting between Chitungwiza Municipality management and Harare Provincial Development Coordinator Mr. Tafadzwa Muguti. Mr. Muguti said he had a meeting with the Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo, and senior police officers and they discussed the issue. Said Mr. Muguti:

There are people amassing enormous wealth at the expense of the poor. I am happy to say that with effect from today, we are going to start asset forfeiture from people like land barons. This morning, I met Minister Moyo, commissioners of police and their spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, and we have put a taskforce in place.

These things (forfeiture) have always been provided for under the law. It is not like we are crafting a new law. This week you shall see ZRP going after assets of those who acquired wealth illegally by selling land which was not theirs. So to those who have got houses and cars we will take what belongs to the State. That means if the money was supposed to have benefited Chitungwiza Municipality, it should be directed there.

We are not looking at the political party you support. As you committed these crimes, we are coming after you. We are doing this for the sake of progress of this great nation.

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We have people that have taken the power of local authorities, some of them conniving with staff members to issue offer letters. Offer letters are not title deeds.

Recently ZRP arrested 6 land barons in Harare as the ZRP announced it was intensifying its investigations into land barons.

More: The Herald