Manyame Rural District Council (RDC) has called for tougher penalties to curb illegal land developments, saying the current US$150 fine is not a sufficient deterrent.
The council, which borders Harare and Chitungwiza, is among the most affected by illegal land sales and unauthorised developments in the country.
Chief Executive Officer Farirai Guta said the area has become a hotspot for illegal activity, with 320 enforcement and prohibition orders issued in 2025 alone.
She said many of the orders are routinely ignored, forcing the council to engage lawyers and pursue costly legal action.
The council says it is now working on new bylaws to tighten enforcement and close existing loopholes.
“People are not afraid to buy, sell or make illegal land developments because the US$150 penalty is small,” said Guta.
“After being arrested, they just pay the fine, and they are free. We need deterrent penalties to stop illegal land developments.
“In most cases, the orders are being defied, and Council ends up referring cases to our lawyers for demolition and eviction orders, which is proving to be a very costly exercise.”
Guta said Manyame RDC is overwhelmed by reports of illegal land developments, which are disrupting farming communities in Seke. As a result, agricultural land has been lost, leaving villagers without fields for cultivation or grazing.
She added that the illegal settlements are also causing environmental damage, with encroachment into wetlands in some areas.
Guta said the council is working with the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to map wetlands, to enable early detection of unauthorised developments.
District Planner Cosmas Murepa said the council has introduced a digital GIS-based communal land permit system to replace the traditional homestead permit system.
The platform links each household to the council database using precise coordinates, making it easier to identify illegal developments.
He said the local authority has also procured a dedicated vehicle for enforcement patrols, with at least 54 operations conducted since 2025.
Murepa added that drones will soon be deployed to map villages and capture coordinates of structures, homesteads, open spaces, grazing land and wetlands to help detect illegal settlements at an early stage.
More: Masvingo Mirror
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