By Staff Reporter
CHIPINGE – More than 200 families in Maunganidze Village, Ward 1, are facing possible eviction following plans by Chipinge Rural District Council (CRDC) to expand Maunganidze Growth Point into surrounding communal land.
According to Council Resolution C9/OR/26, the local authority resolved to issue eviction notices to families occupying land designated in its Master Plan for future urban development, including industrial sites, government flats and other infrastructure projects.
The move has sparked strong opposition from residents, civil society organisations and community rights advocates who argue that the affected land has been occupied and used by local families for generations.
Community members say the proposed expansion threatens not only homes and livelihoods but also cultural heritage, including ancestral graves located within the targeted area.
The dispute has intensified following reports that discussions at the 104th Administration and Human Resources Committee meeting held in August 2026 included plans to exhume 11 graves situated in the proposed Growth Point extension zone.
Residents argue that the affected area is not vacant land waiting for development but a long-established community with homes, fields, family graves and social infrastructure built over decades.
The majority of those facing displacement are reportedly women, with approximately 120 women among the affected families. Community organisations warn that forced evictions could expose women and girls to increased vulnerability, including loss of shelter, livelihoods, educational opportunities and social support networks.
Speaking on the matter, Tatenda Sithole of the Chipinge Residents and Ratepayers Trust (CRRT) condemned the council’s actions as arbitrary and inconsistent with constitutional guarantees.
“The proposed evictions are arbitrary and constitute a violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Women and children stand to suffer the most. Their rights to shelter, security, dignity and development are under threat. Communities cannot simply be removed from ancestral land without full compliance with the law and meaningful consultation.”CRRT reiterated.
CRRT believes urgent legal intervention is necessary to prevent irreversible harm.
“An urgent court interdict is the way to go. Any evictions, demolitions or grave exhumations should be suspended until all legal requirements have been satisfied and affected families have been given a fair opportunity to be heard.”
Zimbabwe’s Constitution protects citizens from arbitrary evictions. Section 74 states that no person may be evicted from their home or have their home demolished without a court order issued after consideration of all relevant circumstances. It also guarantees property rights and protection against unlawful deprivation of property.
The planned exhumation of graves has also raised legal and cultural concerns. Exhumations in Zimbabwe are governed by laws regulating burials and public health procedures and require compliance with prescribed legal processes and authorisations.
The Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD), working alongside trained community paralegals, has been supporting affected families through rights awareness, documentation and advocacy initiatives.
PYCD maintains that it is not opposed to development but insists that urbanisation should be conducted lawfully and in a manner that respects community rights, livelihoods and cultural heritage.
As uncertainty grows in Maunganidze, affected residents are calling for dialogue, transparency and adherence to constitutional principles before any relocations, evictions or grave exhumations are undertaken.
For many families, the issue extends beyond land. It is a struggle to protect ancestral heritage, community identity and the rights of women and children who remain at the centre of the unfolding dispute.