Land Dispute Stalls as Ministry Fails to Act in High Court Case
A protracted land dispute in Zimbabwe involving businessman Melvin Paul Van Gopal and 35 defendants has stalled in the High Court. The case, filed in 2018 under HC 2228/18, seeks eviction of the defendants but cannot proceed without the Ministry of Lands formally joining as a party. Despite being served, the Ministry has failed to respond, leaving the matter in limbo.
Dumisani Ndlovu 
Harare - A long-running land dispute involving businessman Melvin Paul Van Gopal and 35 defendants has stalled in the High Court after the former Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development allegedly failed to respond to court processes, raising fresh questions about administrative delays in critical land cases.
In a letter dated March 26, 2026, legal representatives for Van Gopal expressed concern over the Ministry’s inaction, warning that the lack of engagement has effectively frozen proceedings in a case that has been before the courts since 2018.
The matter, filed under case number HC 2228/18, centres on an application for the eviction of 35 defendants from a disputed property just a few kilometers outside of Gweru, the Midlands capital.
Progress has however repeatedly been halted after presiding judges ruled that the case could not proceed without the Ministry of Lands being formally joined as a party.
The applicant's lawyers say the Office of the Attorney-General was duly served with the necessary documentation following the court’s directive.
Despite this, no instructions have reportedly been issued by the Ministry to enable the Attorney-General’s office to participate in the proceedings.
“The absence of the Ministry of Lands has regrettably stalled progress in the main matter,” the lawyers said, highlighting the procedural deadlock.
The legal team has since formally requested a meeting with Ministry officials to clarify the government’s role in the dispute and to chart a path toward resolving the impasse. Proposed dates for the engagement were March 30 or 31.
The case exposes the often complex intersection between private property rights and state oversight in Zimbabwe’s land administration system, where government institutions are frequently required to be cited in disputes involving land ownership and occupation.
Legal analysts say such delays can have far-reaching consequences, not only for litigants but also for broader investor confidence and the credibility of the justice delivery system.
“This is not just a procedural issue, it speaks to institutional responsiveness,” said one Harare-based legal expert.
“When a matter stays unresolved for years due to administrative silence, it undermines the rule of law," she said.
Efforts to obtain comment from the Ministry of Lands were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
