By Cde Nhamo Taneta
Justice Regis Dembure last week dropped the judicial equivalent of a mic.
The High Court has blocked lands minister Anxious Masuka from booting war veterans off their land to make way for Mnangagwa’s pal, Billy Rautenbach.
Who knew the courts still had teeth?
Masuka, whose first name perfectly describes his entire ministry’s approach to land reform, tried to yank offer letters from war veterans at Springs Farm.
Well it’s because Billy Rautenbach needed more land, obviously.
The man already owns vast lands in the country, but hey, greed knows no bounds.
Justice Dembure called the move “irrational and insensitive.”
That’s judicial talk for “Are you serious?”
The war veterans had been farming there for years, even partnering with the government.
But in Zimbabwe, loyalty means nothing if a tycoon whispers in the right ear.
The minister’s defense was so weak the judge tossed it like expired milk.
The permanent secretary tried to oppose the case, but Madhuku—Zimbabwe’s favorite legal bulldog—pointed out that only the minister could defend his own mess.
The court agreed. Turns out, you can’t just delegate accountability.
Who knew?
Mnangagwa’s Second Republic promised prosperity, but so far, it’s just prosperity for the usual suspects—Rautenbach, Tagwirei, Chivhayo.
The liberation war vets? Collateral damage. Land reform was supposed to empower the people, not just rearrange elite ownership from one connected name to another.
Will the ruling be respected?
Doubtful.
Zimbabwe’s courts have a habit of making bold statements, only for the government to respond with a shrug. But for now, the veterans can celebrate.
Billy will have to wait for his next land grab.
In the end, this case is a rare flicker of sanity in a system built on patronage.
The judge’s message was clear: even in Zimbabwe, you can’t always get what you want—unless, of course, you’re willing to bribe for it.
