By Staff Reporter
Not all land allocations by traditional leaders are fraudulent, Sabhuku Temba Mliswa has clarified, stating that land is only allocated after a thorough consultative process.
Mliswa, who was installed as a village head in Shurugwi last year, made the remarks during a recent Zimbabwe Real Estate Public Lecture held in Harare.
He dismissed claims of underhand land deals involving village heads, saying that traditional leaders allocate only unclaimed land, commonly known in vernacular as dongo, and only after five years of verified vacancy.
“A dongo is land that has been vacant for up to five years. If no one comes forward to claim it during that time, we then consider allocating it to someone else,” said Mliswa. “We give the family five years to find someone to occupy the homestead. If no one returns, we consult the headman and the chief, then allocate the land on condition the new occupant pays rates to the Rural District Council.”
He explained that his role as Sabhuku includes ensuring no land lies idle in his jurisdiction.
“If I don’t allocate vacant land, I’ve failed as a Sabhuku. The chief can strip me of my title and ask why there are unoccupied plots in my village,” he said. “The more people settled in the village and paying rates, the better it is for the chief and the development of the area.”
Mliswa said people who leave their rural homes for the city are still invited to Village Assembly meetings when land issues arise. If they are unable to attend, they may send a proxy.
“We make decisions as a village assembly. There are relatives in those meetings. For example, we may say, ‘We want to take Temba’s homestead. Do the relatives have anything to say?’ We try to reach the person, maybe he’s now in the city and not responding. The assembly may agree to write him a letter,” he said.
He stressed that the consultation process is transparent and collective.
“We even document everything. A letter is sent inviting the person to the meeting. They can send someone in their place. The process is thorough. There is no deal. If your sister’s land is in question, you’ll defend it. Eventually, if no objection is raised, the Sabhuku is given the green light to allocate the land,” Mliswa explained.
He also highlighted that traditional and cultural guidelines govern who is eligible to receive land in a given area.
“We don’t just give land to anyone. We look for someone from our own culture and tradition. We don’t want to bring someone from Matabeleland into a Karanga village, just as they wouldn’t want a Karanga in theirs,” he said.
“This is about preserving our social fabric and security. In the village, everyone knows each other. Crime is rare because we protect each other. My cattle won’t be stolen; they plough for the neighbours. That’s the kind of community trust we build.”
Mliswa emphasized that all proceedings are documented to guard against accusations of corruption.
“Everything is minuted. If someone returns later and says the Sabhuku was bribed, we produce the minutes as proof. We even invite them to the meetings. That’s how transparent we are,” he said.
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