Two army colonels allegedly blocked the Sheriff of the High Court from carrying out an eviction at a disputed farm in Mazowe, triggering a tense standoff that lasted several hours.
A report by ZimLive.com says the incident occurred at Ingleborough Farm, which has been at the centre of a long-running land dispute involving resettled farmers and military-linked occupants.
According to court documents, the Sheriff — acting on a High Court order issued on March 13 — attempted to evict occupants from the property with police support.
However, the operation was halted after the arrival of Colonel Ncube and Colonel Malamba, who allegedly brought uniformed soldiers and blocked the Sheriff from completing the eviction.
“Execution could not proceed as the Sheriff was coerced to suspend execution… They threatened violence as they were armed,” the Sheriff said in a report to the High Court.
The Sheriff was reportedly forced to return goods already removed from the property before being allowed to leave.
Dispute background
The 603-hectare farm has been the subject of a prolonged legal battle between diplomat Tryness Kabiti and farmer Wonder Mukwaira, who both hold offer letters, and parties linked to the military.
Kabiti was allocated 100 hectares in 2010, while Mukwaira received 253 hectares in 2013 under the land reform programme.
In 2017, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces was allocated the entire farm for institutional agricultural use, prompting attempts by the government to withdraw the farmers’ offer letters.
The dispute escalated after the lands ministry indicated plans to allocate parts of the property to Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri and to establish a military cemetery on the land.
Supreme Court ruling
Kabiti challenged the withdrawal of her land in court, arguing that the decision by Lands Minister Anxious Masuka was unlawful.
In 2024, the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe ruled in her favour, ordering the minister to provide written reasons for the withdrawal within 21 days.
The court further stated that failure to respond would render the withdrawal invalid.
The minister did not comply within the stipulated timeframe, meaning the withdrawal of Kabiti’s offer letter was effectively set aside.
Failed eviction attempt
Following unsuccessful attempts to enforce the ruling, the High Court authorised the eviction of occupants, leading to the March 13 operation.
Witnesses said the Sheriff had already removed belongings and travelled about two kilometres from the farm when the army officers intercepted the convoy and ordered the return of the goods.
The Sheriff, accompanied by police in anti-riot gear, complied after the standoff.
Mukwaira, who was waiting nearby, later reported the incident to police.
Next steps
Lawyers representing Mukwaira and Kabiti say they will file an urgent chamber application to enforce the eviction order.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the enforcement of court orders and the role of security forces in civil disputes.
Discover more from Nehanda Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
