The High Court of Zimbabwe has ordered the eviction of businessman Taremedzwa Kapungu, his agents, employees, and all persons linked to him, from a 65.24-hectare land belonging to Windmill (Private) Limited. The disputed land, known as Lot FA Kinvara in Salisbury District, had allegedly been illegally marketed under the name “Tsikwi Phase 1 (Westgate Extension).”
Windmill, a leading agrochemical and fertiliser company in Zimbabwe, told the court that Kapungu and his associates were fraudulently selling residential stands on the property without any legal authority. The company approached the court after discovering that unsuspecting home seekers were being lured into paying for plots on its land.
The High Court, in its ruling under Case No HCH3919/25, granted Windmill’s application for spoliation. The order directed Kapungu, his associates, and anyone acting in his interest to vacate the land immediately. The court further authorised the Sheriff of Zimbabwe to enforce the eviction should the parties refuse to comply.
“The first respondent (Kapungu), his agents, employees, and all other persons acting in his interests and claiming any rights of occupation or otherwise through him, be and are hereby evicted from Lot FA Kinvara measuring 65,2436 hectares registered in the name of the applicant under Deed of Transfer Number 1523/81,” the court judgment read.
Windmill chief executive officer, Kudakwashe Mundowozi, later issued a public statement warning home seekers against dealing with Kapungu and his partners. He named Aspire Mutingwende, Taremedzwa Kapungu, and their company Redrev (Pvt) Ltd as the individuals behind the alleged fraudulent land sales.
“These individuals are land barons and have no legal authority to sell, allocate, or advertise this land on behalf of Windmill,” Mundowozi said. “Members of the public are strongly warned against entering into any agreements, making payments, or committing to stand allocations being offered by these individuals or their representatives. Engaging with them exposes home seekers and investors to serious financial loss and future legal disputes, as any such transactions are null and void.”
Windmill said it is working closely with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Sheriff, and other authorities to protect the public from fraudulent schemes targeting desperate home seekers. The company stressed that it is the rightful and lawful owner of the land, which has been under its name for decades.
But in a dramatic twist, Tsikwi Veterans Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, a company formed by war veterans, their families, and some residents of Mt Hampden, issued a statement defending Kapungu. The group argued that the disputed land was part of the government’s land reform programme and had been lawfully allocated to Kapungu through an offer letter in 2012.
“Our main goal is to ensure the locality benefits from the urban development happening in the Cyber City area through affordable housing for the youth, veterans, and other vulnerable groups,” Tsikwi said. “Windmill is against this and continues to fight the fact that Kinvara Estate was acquired by the Government of Zimbabwe during the land reform and allocated through offer letter in 2012 to the current owner, Taremedzwa Kapungu, as pronounced in his offer letter and High Court judgment HC 722/15.”
The veterans also dismissed Windmill’s title deed as a colonial relic, claiming it had no weight in post-land reform Zimbabwe. “This cabal of imperialist criminals approach the courts hiding behind a colonial era deed from 1905, acquired in 1992, before land reform. The veterans did not liberate Zimbabwe for colonial era laws to be upheld over those in a free and constitutional democracy such as that we have today,” the group said.
The veterans vowed to appeal the ruling at the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court if necessary, adding that the land reform programme, described as the “Third Chimurenga,” was irreversible. They insisted that they were also in communication with the Sheriff’s Office and the police to advance their case.
The case highlights Zimbabwe’s long-running land disputes, where powerful individuals, sometimes referred to as land barons, illegally seize or sell land to desperate home seekers. These activities have left many families stranded after buying plots that later turn out to be disputed or privately owned.
In May 2025, the Zimbabwean government imposed a 90-day moratorium on development permits to review policies around land transactions. Authorities said they wanted to criminalise unauthorised land sales, a move seen as a response to the growing number of fraudulent allocations and rising public anger over the activities of land barons.
With both Windmill and Kapungu’s supporters holding firm, the latest High Court ruling is unlikely to be the final chapter. For now, the sheriff has been empowered to enforce eviction, but the dispute could escalate to higher courts as the fight over land ownership, legality, and Zimbabwe’s contested land reform programme continues.
