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 outrage among residents, who argue that the planned displacement echoes colonial-era land administration practices that historically removed African communities from ancestral lands in the name of development and state planning.

Community members say the affected land has been occupied, cultivated and inherited for generations and forms an integral part of their cultural identity, livelihoods and heritage.

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 within the proposed Growth Point extension zone.

Residents argue that the targeted area is not vacant land awaiting development but a thriving community with homes, fields, family graves and social infrastructure established over decades.

The majority of those facing displacement are reportedly women, with about 120 women among the affected families.

Community leaders warn that forced evictions could expose women and girls to heightened risks of poverty, exploitation, school dropouts, early marriages and disruption of family support systems.

Speaking on the matter, Tatenda Sithole of the Chipinge Residents and Ratepayers Trust (CRRT) criticised the council’s actions and questioned the continued use of legal frameworks rooted in colonial land administration.

“It is deeply concerning that in an independent and democratic Zimbabwe, communities are still facing displacement from ancestral land under systems that resemble colonial land administration practices. Women and children are the most affected, and their rights to shelter, dignity, security and development are under threat.”

Sithole said CRRT believes the proposed evictions violate constitutional protections and require urgent judicial intervention.

“An urgent court interdict is the way forward. No evictions, demolitions or grave exhumations should proceed until the courts have determined whether the council has complied with constitutional requirements and all applicable legal procedures.”

Zimbabwe’s Constitution provides protection against arbitrary evictions. Section 74 states that no person may be evicted from their home or have their home demolished without a court order made after considering all relevant circumstances, while Section 71 protects property rights and prohibits unlawful deprivation of property

The proposed exhumation of graves has also attracted criticism from community members and rights advocates who argue that such actions must follow prescribed legal procedures and respect cultural and family rights.

Zimbabwe’s burial laws regulate exhumations and require compliance with applicable legal processes and authorisations.

The Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD), supported by trained community paralegals, has been assisting affected families to understand their constitutional rights, document alleged rights violations and pursue legal remedies where necessary.
PYCD maintains that it is not opposed to development but insists that urban expansion must be lawful, inclusive and respectful of existing communities, particularly vulnerable groups such as women and children.

As tensions continue to rise in Maunganidze, affected residents are calling for dialogue, transparency and a development model that protects community history rather than repeating patterns of dispossession associated with Zimbabwe’s colonial past.

For many families, the fight is about more than land. It is about defending ancestral heritage, protecting future generations and ensuring that development in modern Zimbabwe advances justice rather than displacement