Self-imposed headman turns land baron, sells 70% of village

Pauline Chateuka

Seke—Takesure Tichana, a self-appointed village head, has been accused of facilitating illegal communal land sales in his village located in Ward 6, Chirimamhunga of rural Seke.

As a result, reports indicate, 70 percent of Tichana Village in Seke is now occupied by outsiders who paid varying amounts of money for residential stands in the area.

The legitimate headman, Phenias Tichana who had relocated to South Africa when the land deals took place, revealed that he lost five hectares to his uncle Takesure through the fraudulent sales.

It is illegal for individuals to sell communal land.

Tichana allegedly colluded with other family members and Ian Manyere, the ward councillor and chairperson of the Manyame Rural District Council, in these illicit deals.

Tichana’s alleged involvement in the illegal land sales emerged after villagers  approached our news crew following the publication of other controversial land deals in rural Seke involving the Manyame Rural District Council and a ruling Zanu PF lawmaker, Innocent Benza.

This investigation was published with support from Information for Development Trust (IDT), a non-profit media outfit promoting investigative journalism.

The land deals stem from a leadership vacuum after the legitimate headman, Phenias Tichana, temporarily relocated to South Africa in 2012, where he was employed.

Takesure reportedly took advantage of Phenias’s absence and imposed himself as headman with the help of other family members.

Takesure is Phenias’s uncle.

When Phenias returned to the country in 2023, he discovered that external settlers had snatched up 70 percent of the village land after Takesure sold it to them illegally.

Phenias confronted Takesure over the illegal land sales.

Tension erupted between the two Tichanas, forcing Chief Seke to call an emergency meeting to address illegal land sales on 14 January this year that this news crew attended.

During this meeting, Chief Seke bemoaned the unauthorised sale of communal land in the village whose jurisdiction had been handed over to Phenias by the late Chifise Tichana.

The chief urged villagers to report the illegal land deals to relevant authorities and declared Phenias the rightful headman.

“Our records are clear. Phenias Tichana has been the legitimate headman of Tichana Village since 2006. Anyone selling land without authorisation is breaking the law and should face justice. This behavior undermines our traditions and governance,” said Chief Seke.

Some villagers insist the councillor was complicit in the land sales as he turned a blind blind eye to what happened at Tichana village.

Speaking to this publication, Takesure denied the allegations. “I don’t know anything about that. Phenias is the one fighting me together with the chief and is the one who will go to jail.”

The ward councillor, Manyere, said he was opposed to the sale of communal land and was not involved in the Tichana Vllage deals.

“People should stop giving out wrong information. I protect the land as the sitting councillor, and they should not include me in their family disputes. I was never invited to the meeting where the chief (re) appointed Phenias,” said the councillor.

“I trusted the council to protect the integrity of our village, but instead, they have sided with impostors. It’s heartbreaking to see my ancestral land being sold off illegally.

“I am invoking the law to stop the selling of land and will set up a new interim village executive committee as well as a security team to look after our land,” said Phenias Tichana.

When questioned about the council’s involvement, the MRDC Land Management Technical Officer James Mupunga neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.

“We haven’t received an official report regarding this matter,” Mupunga claimed.

Villagers also implicated the Seke District Development Coordinator’s (DDC) office, reporting that a letter bearing its date stamp and claiming Tichana had no village head was being circulated .

The DDC’s office, however, denied issuing the letter, claiming it was forged, and warned villagers over communal land sales.

“If such a letter exists, it is not from our office. Phenias is the legitimate village head according to the government records, and we are warning people who are selling State land that no one is above the law,” said Nobert Chapwanya from the Seke DDC’s office.

According to local villagers, the land barons in Tichana Village have been namedropping the ruling Zanu PF to protect themselves.

However, the Mashonaland East Zanu PF Youth League chairperson, Kelvin Mutsvairo denied his party supported land barons.

“Zanu PF does not give people land. The party leaders follow the right procedures in acquiring land, and if you’re illegally selling land, the party will never defend you.

“Those committing these crimes must be arrested, and the law will take its course,” said Mutsvairo.