Magunje Standoff: Villagers Say Chinese Investor Defies High Court Orders

Villagers in Magunje accuse Chinese-owned Lebanmon Investment of defying two High Court orders to halt operations on communal land (image source)

MAGUNJE, HURUNGWE — Tensions in Chasara Kapere village have escalated after villagers accused Chinese-owned Lebanmon Investment of continuing to occupy communal farmland and grazing areas despite two High Court orders instructing the company to halt operations.

Villagers say Lebanmon was officially allocated 50 hectares inside the Magunje Growth Point Industrial Park but instead encroached on community land, sparking a bitter dispute that has split families and local leadership. The High Court, in case HCCC12/25, issued rulings on February 4 and again on October 1, 2025, directing the company to stop activity on the contested land. Community lawyers have since filed contempt proceedings, alleging repeated defiance by the investor.

“When they started moving earth on our grazing land we protested, but work continued,” said a villager who asked not to be named for fear of recrimination, describing daily anxiety as tractors and labourers expanded the site. Village Head Joe Chasara and ZANU PF provincial leaders Lancelot Koronga and Thomas Chidzomba were named by residents as intermediaries allegedly brokering compensation offers to divide the community, with figures quoted between US$4,000 and US$8,000 plus a tonne of maize per family.

Some households reportedly accepted payments while others refused to vacate ahead of the farming season, heightening fears over food security.

Villagers, working with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, took the matter to the High Court, which found merit in their application and ordered the investor to cease operations pending resolution. Legal filings name Lebanmon Investments and its representative as respondents, citing failures by local authorities and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to intervene effectively. Rights lawyers say the repeated court orders and alleged contempt underscore the need for stronger enforcement mechanisms to protect communal land rights.

Land governance specialist Dr. Farai Mutasa warned that investor encroachment on communal land fuels conflict and undermines rural livelihoods. “When court orders are ignored, confidence in rule of law collapses and crisis becomes inevitable,” he said, urging immediate enforcement and independent verification of land titles and allocations.

Hurungwe Rural District Council and the District Development Committee have publicly denied knowledge of the latest developments, while a July 2025 Provincial Coordinating Committee resolution reportedly tasked leaders with community engagement — a meeting villagers say never happened.

The absence of transparent, timely engagement has left many feeling abandoned by both state institutions and the justice process. With the farming season looming, villagers fear irreversible loss of arable and grazing land and a breakdown of community cohesion if enforcement remains weak.

Campaigners are calling for a swift, court-backed eviction of illegal operations, transparent land audits, and meaningful community consultations to defuse the crisis and protect communal rights.