Over 2,000 Retreat farm families face eviction as ‘land barons’ lose court challenge
ABOUT 2,000 families may be forced off Saturday Retreat farm following the recent loss of the land ownership wrangle by land barons.
The latest development contained in CFI Holdings Financial Statements for the period ended March 31, 2025, triggers chills down the spines of property owners, who have resided on the property for decades.
Harare South Saturday Retreat Farm, widely known as Ushehwekunze is owned by Crest Breeders, a unit under CFI Holdings.
The ownership wrangle of the property has raged on for years, with some land barons allegedly duping thousands of home seekers of their hard earned money.
They parcelled out the large tracts of land basing on a deed of settlement with the then Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement to transfer the 1,057ha farm.
But over the years, CFI Holdings has insisted that they still own the property culminating in endless legal battles.
After obtaining a court victory in 2023, CFI was blocked from issuing eviction orders after a group of the land occupiers approached the courts seeking to reverse the ownership.
Presenting the CFI financials this week, the group revealed that they finally scored victory with the highest court on the land, and will now deliberate on the next course of action to be adopted.
“In February 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Crest Breeders International, confirming the entity’s rights in Saturday Retreat Estate.
“In the current year, the Constitutional Court dismissed a challenge to the Supreme Court’s ruling brought by the land barons. The entity remains seized with formulating a development strategy as the group looks to enhance its synergies with the retail unit and diversify its portfolio,” said CFI.
The future of families residing on the property now remains at the mercy of the bonafide owners, leaving a very high possibility of evictions if the farm owners think otherwise.
Securing low cost housing remains a dream for thousands of Harare’s citizens as the local authority has failed to come up with such a plan for decades.
Resultantly, desperate home seekers continue to fall prey to dishonest housing cooperatives and land barons. NewZimbabwe
