Nyanga Councilor Pushes For Digital Land Verification To Protect Deceased Wat Vets’ Children

By Ross Moyo

As Zimbabwe celebrates Munhumutapa Day today, a call has come from Nyanga for stronger protection of families of deceased liberation war veterans whose land is being targeted.

Councilor Ernest Magadzire says there are emerging concerns regarding attempts to challenge or reclaim land lawfully allocated under the Land Reform Programme, particularly where the original beneficiary has died.

“Where a liberation war veteran or his or her family holds legitimate documentation confirming the allocation or lawful occupation of land, that position must be properly recognised and protected,” Magadzire said.

He invoked President Mnangagwa’s declaration that “under my leadership, the welfare of our veterans is inseparable from that of their families,” and said this must translate into action through NDS2 provisions for dependants of deceased veterans.

Magadzire said the children of deceased veterans often lack the institutional knowledge to defend family interests, making them a vulnerable link for land grabbers.

His solution: A clear mechanism in Nyanga to receive, document, and escalate such cases to the Ministry of Lands for verification against offer letters, permits, leases and title deeds.

“No family should be intimidated. No beneficiary should be unlawfully removed,” he said. “The answer to land disputes must always be law, evidence and due process.”

He stressed this is about sovereignty, not race — lawful ownership must be protected regardless of background.