The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has established a Department of Research and Investigations to investigate village heads implicated in the illegal parcelling and sale of communal and State land.

Permanent Secretary Tafadzwa Muguti said the new department will handle chieftainship disputes, service delivery complaints and criminal allegations.

3000 Village Heads Under Investigation

He revealed this while addressing chairpersons of Provincial Assemblies of Chiefs, Directors of Local Government Services and District Development Coordinators (DDCs) in Harare on Tuesday.

According to Muguti, a rapid 14-day national sweep conducted while he was Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution uncovered 11,650 hectares of illegally sold land, with more than 3,000 village heads flagged.

The country has over 35,000 village heads.

“Fortunately, in my previous assignment, I was in charge of coordinating provinces, and these deal-making village heads were a primary focus on my desk,” he said.

“In just two weeks, when we were assigned to conduct a national sweep of the most affected areas, we uncovered 11,650 hectares of land that had been sold, with over 3,000 village heads implicated.”

Muguti said the crackdown will now intensify under his stewardship at the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.

“There are over 3,000 of them, and fortunately I have now arrived.

“So we will soon start arresting them,” he said.

“Only The President Has Immunity”

He said the investigations will extend to village heads who did not directly receive money but failed to report illegal occupations.

“Any village head who is involved, or who failed to report an invasion to the headman, chief, or police and simply allowed it to happen, is equally guilty of dereliction of duty.

Corruption takes two forms: receiving a bribe, or looking the other way,” he said.

“We shall be suspending village heads in any village where stands have been pegged without being reported and where leaders are cohabiting with illegal settlers.

“Once found guilty, those suspended village heads will be arrested.”

Muguti dismissed claims that traditional leaders cannot be prosecuted.

“I would like to state clearly that there has been a myth that traditional leaders cannot be arrested or prosecuted before the courts of law.

“I want to demystify that myth: the only person with immunity from arrest in this country is the President.

“Everyone else must answer for themselves in court,” he said.