Several villagers in Hurungwe have avoided eviction from their ancestral land thanks to an intervention by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
In August 2024, villagers from Nyamadzawo (also known as Zinyama) in Magunje, Hurungwe District, Mashonaland West, received eviction notices from the Hurungwe Rural District Council (HRDC). These letters indicated that their village was earmarked for unspecified “special purposes” and development under section 10(1)(1) of the Communal Lands Act.
The notices instructed the villagers to demolish their homes by September 30, 2024, or face forced compliance from local authorities.
In response, Village Head Satchmore Chigumbura, along with Nesbert Chinanzvavana and Emmanuel Chinanzvavana, sought legal aid from ZLHR lawyers Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Kelvin Kabaya. On September 24, 2024, they filed an urgent application with the Chinhoyi High Court to block the HRDC’s eviction efforts, arguing that such actions would be unlawful and violate the constitutional protection against arbitrary eviction outlined in section 74.
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The villagers contended that the HRDC must obtain a court order for eviction, which had not been served by the September 30 deadline. They noted that no official declaration had been made to designate Zinyama village for development, as required by section 10(3) of the Communal Lands Act.
As a result, they argued that the attempt to designate their land for development was illegal, rendering the proposed evictions and demolitions unlawful. Furthermore, they asserted that under section 12 of the Communal Lands Act, the HRDC is obligated to provide alternative land or negotiate compensation if no alternative is available. They claimed that no alternative land had been offered, nor had there been any discussions regarding compensation for their loss.
On October 2, 2024, Justice Philda Muzofa of the Chinhoyi High Court ruled that the HRDC could not proceed with evicting the villagers or demolishing their homes without following proper legal protocols.
