Lawyers for Minister Daniel Garwe have launched a direct legal assault on The Standard newspaper, demanding that it unconditionally retract a story linking him to a major land scandal within 48 hours or face a punitive lawsuit for damages, a legal letter reveals.
The letter from Samukange Hungwe Attorneys, dated January 26, 2026, escalates a bitter war over the narrative surrounding a disputed Newlands property deal. The lawyers state they “hold clear and unambiguous instructions to demand, as we hereby do, the unconditional retraction of the defamatory article within the next forty-eight (48) hours.”
The letter leaves no room for negotiation, warning that failure to comply will result in the firm holding “unequivocal instructions to institute proceedings for damages,” with all attendant costs to be borne by the newspaper “on a punitive scale.”
This legal offensive targets a January 25 article titled “Garwe’s head in Harare’s land scandal exposed.” The lawyers assert that the article’s intention was to “soil, mudsling and malign his good name” with “serious, unfounded and false allegations.” They specifically deny the report’s core claims, stating: “It is false that our client ordered the City of Harare to defy any court order,” and that “it is also false that our client sought to use political influence to seize the land.”
The ultimatum was issued amid Garwe’s very public “blitzkrieg” against alleged corruption within Mayor Jacob Mafume’s council. The scandal involves a US$100,000 fraud case in which Deputy Mayor Rosemary Muronda and former MP Shadreck Mashayamombe are accused of illegally selling stands on council land through four companies.
The Standard’s disputed report alleged that Garwe attempted to redirect the same land to a different company, Logara Properties, for a US$70 million investment—an order Mayor Mafume allegedly refused.
At a press conference, Garwe angrily counter-attacked, claiming, “The mayor and his team are the real land barons.” His lawyers’ letter now amplifies that fight into the legal arena, accusing the paper of acting in bad faith by failing to seek comment and by publishing a version of events “contrary to what is contained in your article.”
With the clock ticking on the 48-hour deadline, The Standard faces a critical decision that could either silence a strand of the scandal or trigger a costly court battle ensuring the story of power, land and allegations continues to dominate the headlines.
