Housing Cooperative Sues PPC Over Disputed Arlington Land Deal

A legal battle has erupted over prime real estate on near the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, with Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative dragging cement manufacturer PPC Zimbabwe Limited and other parties to the High Court, alleging a “calculated and well-coordinated” attempt to seize land already lawfully allocated to the cooperative.

In summons filed at the High Court on May 7, 2025, the cooperative is seeking to nullify both an offer letter and a deed of transfer issued to PPC Zimbabwe for Subdivision E of Arlington Estate, a piece of land the Cooperative claims was lawfully allocated to them nearly two decades ago.

Nyikavanhu Cooperative accuses PPC of securing the land through irregular means, despite the cooperative having an extant offer letter issued in 2006 by the Ministry of Local Government.

They allege that the ministry—through its current Secretary—has ignored legal protocols, including a standing court interdict barring eviction of Nyikavanhu members from the property.

“The plaintiff was formally registered and offered the land for development in January 2006. The offer letter has never been withdrawn, yet PPC somehow obtained a fresh offer letter in February 2024, followed by a deed of transfer issued in the same year.” reads part of the declaration.

Real Star Security, a private security company allegedly hired by the cement manufacturer is also cited in the lawsuit for installing security at the disputed property without the plaintiff’s consent.

Nyikavanhu is asking the court to interdict Real Star from operating on the site and to order the Sheriff of the High Court to evict the security firm if necessary.

The cooperative claims they have made multiple efforts since 2017 to halt PPC’s encroachment on the land, including writing formal complaints to both PPC and the Ministry of Local Government.

“No responses were received, and in fact, new documents emerged mid-litigation that completely changed the nature of the matter,” the court documents state.

Nyikavanhu further alleges that previous attempts to subdivide or reallocate parts of the land were dismissed by the courts as irregular.

“This land was compulsorily acquired by the government from Portland Holdings and allocated to us. We’ve received confirmation from various arms of government, including the Attorney General’s Office and the Harare City Council master plan, which earmarks the land for residential settlement,” the cooperative maintains.

The lawsuit seeks six key remedies including cancellation of the offer letter and deed of transfer issued to PPC, court orders to stop both PPC and Real Star Security from interfering with the land, a prohibition against the Ministry of Local Government from allocating the land to third parties and punitive legal costs.262223chat