BREAKING: ZACC Arrests Chief Mphini Over Illegal Sale of Bulilima Grazing Lands

BULILIMA – In a high-profile move targeting corruption within traditional leadership, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested Chief Mphini of Matabeleland South. The traditional leader stands accused of the illegal alienation and sale of communal land in Bulilima District, a move that has reportedly displaced local livestock and sparked a communal outcry.

The arrest, confirmed late yesterday by ZACC Commissioner Kindness Paradza, follows an intensive investigation into the management of Ward 21 in Bulilima. Preliminary reports suggest that land specifically designated for communal grazing was subdivided and sold as residential stands.

"We will be issuing details soon but yes, we have arrested the Chief," Paradza stated, signaling that further charges may be pending as the commission untangles the web of transactions.

Sources familiar with the investigation indicate that over 80 individuals have already been settled on the contested land. The situation has reached a boiling point among local villagers, who allege that the majority of the beneficiaries are not from the district or even the province of Matabeleland South. This "settlement of outsiders" on traditional grazing lands is a highly sensitive socio-economic issue. In communal areas, grazing land is a shared asset vital for livestock-based livelihoods; its conversion into residential plots represents a permanent loss of productive capacity for the original community.

This arrest comes at a time when the government is intensifying its "no-nonsense" approach to land barons. While traditional leaders have a mandate to oversee land distribution, the Communal Lands Act does not grant them the authority to sell land for personal gain, especially when it involves the conversion of protected grazing zones. As investigations progress, the ZACC is expected to scrutinize bank records and witness testimonies from the 80 settlers to determine the total financial prejudice to the state and the local authority.

Chief Mphini ZACC arrest