CHIKOMBA Rural District Council has thrown traditional leaders accused of illegally parcelling out village land in Nharira, Chivhu, to outsiders under the bus, in a dramatic U-turn in the ongoing legal battle over the disputed land. The local authority, which had earlier stated that it allocated the land to the alleged illegal settlers, distanced itself from the case during a pre-trial conference on August 18, 2025, insisting it never settled the occupants. Hundreds of villagers have accused their traditional leaders of selling large tracts of their ancestral land to outsiders.
In an attempt to stop the illegal settlements, five Nharira villagers took Chikomba Rural District Council, Chief Musarurwa, born Enos Masakwa, Headman Hokonya, Zanu PF provincial member Bester Jokonya and 10 alleged illegal settlers to court, seeking an order to halt the sale of State land. According to court papers, the local authority argued that the alleged grazing area falls within the boundaries of a gazetted rural service centre, adding that it allocated the land to the villagers. “The 11th defendant (Chikomba RDC), as it is entitled to do, duly allocated residential stands to the defendants stated herein,” court papers read.
However, according to minutes of the pre-trial conference, the Chikomba RDC later made a U-turn, “Defendant admitted that it did not settle any of the defendants on the land in question and did not grant them any permits to occupy the land,” the minutes read. “It further indicated that it has no interest in the litigation as no relief was sought against it and will stand by the court’s decision.” The minutes further read: “Defendant indicated that it does not wish to take part in the proceedings as no relief is sought against it. “It indicated that it mistakenly stated in its plea that it settled the defendants on the land in question.
