Minister Warns Home Seekers to Verify Land Deals with Councils Amid Rising Fraud Cases

Zimbabwe’s housing minister Daniel Garwe has urged home seekers to verify land transactions with councils (image source)

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Daniel Garwe, has urged prospective home buyers to verify land transactions with local authorities before making payments, warning that land fraud is on the rise and costing citizens millions.

Speaking during a housing policy review workshop in Harare, Garwe said the government is concerned about the proliferation of bogus land sales, particularly in peri-urban areas such as Chitungwiza, Ruwa, and Norton. He emphasized that only councils and approved cooperatives have the legal mandate to allocate residential stands. “We are seeing an alarming increase in cases where people are duped by fake land developers,” Garwe said. “Before you pay a cent, verify with your local council.”

The warning comes after several high-profile arrests of land barons—individuals who illegally sell state or council land without title deeds. In September, police arrested two suspects in Epworth for selling land on wetlands, while dozens of victims were left without recourse. According to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), land fraud is now among the top five economic crimes in the country. The Commission has launched a joint task force with the Ministry of Local Government to audit land allocations and prosecute offenders. “We are working to dismantle these syndicates,” said ZACC spokesperson John Makamure. “But citizens must also exercise due diligence.”

Garwe said the government is finalizing a National Housing Bill, which will tighten oversight of housing cooperatives and introduce penalties for unregistered developers. The bill also proposes a digital land registry to improve transparency and reduce manipulation of records. “We want to make land transactions traceable and secure,” Garwe added.

Home seekers have welcomed the minister’s call but say councils must also improve service delivery. Many complain of delays in processing applications, poor communication, and corruption within council offices. “We’ve been waiting for our stand approval for over a year,” said Tafadzwa Moyo, a resident of Ruwa. “It’s frustrating, and that’s why people turn to shortcuts.” Real estate experts say the demand for housing in Zimbabwe far exceeds supply, creating fertile ground for fraud. The country needs an estimated 1.5 million new housing units by 2030, according to the Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy.