Land Dispute in Murewa Raises Corruption Concerns at Council

A land ownership conflict in Murewa has brought to light potential corruption involving senior officials from the Murewa Town Council, including Chief Executive Officer Alois Gurajena and Town Planner Gordon Maruta.

According to information uncovered by Timely News, local entrepreneur Munyaradzi Marufu, through his company Murovray Private Limited, is pursuing legal action against the council, accusing it of violating land allocation procedures.

Marufu alleges that part of his land—legally purchased in 2013 with the intent to build a nightclub at Nyamutumbu Business Centre in Makore—was unlawfully reassigned by the council to a different developer.

Documents reviewed by Timely News indicate that Marufu and a business associate secured ownership of the stand over a decade ago. Despite this, the council reportedly permitted another party to construct a building directly in front of Marufu’s establishment, interfering with their business prospects.

“Our bar was close to completion when we discovered that the council had granted another developer permission to build right in front of us,” Marufu said in a sworn statement. “Our own checks show the council disregarded zoning rules, even though our property is located on a corner plot, around five kilometers from the highway.”

Marufu further accused the council of greenlighting multiple developments in breach of urban planning regulations, suggesting that these actions point to systemic corruption and poor governance within the local authority.

Efforts to get an official comment from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) were unsuccessful. However, a ZACC insider who requested anonymity confirmed that a formal probe into the matter is in progress.

Preliminary evidence points to a possible pattern of land double allocations orchestrated by high-ranking council personnel. Gurajena, who has faced scrutiny in the past, and Maruta are believed to be at the center of the alleged scheme.

Attempts to reach both officials for their response were unsuccessful by the time this story was published.