Masvingo plot dispute flares as ZANU PF MP is named and mother of two arrested
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A Masvingo woman and her two-year-old baby were detained after she confronted workers allegedly fencing off her plot in Clipsham, in a dispute residents say could affect more than 700 people.
A 42-year-old Masvingo woman and her two-year-old baby were detained after she confronted workers who were allegedly putting up a fence around her plot in Clipsham, in a dispute over land that residents say involves hundreds of households.
Nancy Rikitai Gwaindepi was arrested alongside a neighbour after men arrived at the property and began fencing off land covering several plots, according to the Masvingo Mirror. Gwaindepi reportedly told the workers that the development would leave her family homeless. Her husband, Prichard Tafirenyika Masocks, described the situation as distressing, saying his wife had spent a night in the cells and that two of their children had left home. The woman and her neighbour were reportedly released the following afternoon.
Affected families say they have lived in the area since 2002 and possess offer letters issued by the former Ministry of Lands. Residents claim more than 700 people could be affected by the alleged evictions, with some saying they were given only verbal instructions to leave.
Godfrey Mukungunugwa, the Chivi North MP named in the dispute, confirmed the arrest but disputed the family's account of ownership. He told the Masvingo Mirror that the plot belonged to his brother, Day Mukungunugwa, who was allocated the land by the Ministry in September 2025, and described Gwaindepi as an illegal occupant, saying the area had since been designated for agro-business plots.
Police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said Gwaindepi's name was not in their records. The conflicting accounts leave the ownership dispute unresolved.