THE government has issued a final warning to land barons, headmen, village heads and illegal land dealers, saying the era of unlawful land sales is over as identified offenders face immediate arrest and prosecution.

For years, land barons and some traditional leaders have been accused of illegally occupying, subdividing and selling State, local authority and communal land for personal gain, resulting in unplanned settlements, environmental degradation, land disputes and the defrauding of unsuspecting home seekers.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said government had activated robust enforcement measures targeting criminal syndicates involved in the illegal occupation, subdivision and sale of public land.

Garwe said the crackdown follows a directive from President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stamp out criminality, corruption and abuse of public office in land administration.

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"With immediate effect, all identified land barons will be arrested, prosecuted and subjected to the full penalties prescribed by law.

"Any headman or village head found participating in, facilitating or benefiting from illegal land sales will be arrested, prosecuted and, upon conviction, removed from office in accordance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the Traditional Leaders Act," Garwe said.

The minister also announced the deployment of multi-agency enforcement teams comprising law enforcement agencies, local authorities and the Chiefs Council of Zimbabwe to identify, investigate and dismantle criminal networks behind illegal land allocations and settlements.

"The era of lawlessness is over. The abuse of public land, fraudulent land sales and illegal settlements will no longer be tolerated," Garwe said.

Garwe added that investigations into individuals and entities masquerading as land developers, housing cooperatives and land agents had been intensified, with authorities set to dismantle all illegal operations.

He urged members of the public to verify land ownership, planning approvals and development authority with the relevant local authorities and government departments before purchasing land, warning that land acquired through illegal channels carries no legal protection.