PARAMOUNT Chief Chitimukulu says chiefs surrounding the water falls are entitled to shares in the projects so that their subjects benefit.
And the Chitimukulu has questioned why summons were issued to him to appear in court in a case where the Water Resources Manage-ment Authority (WARMA) sued Luapula Hydropower Corporation for not surrendering two water permits.
Luapula Hydropower obtained the water rights through a High Court consent judgment with the WARMA.
WARMA had written Luapula Hydropower on August 6, 2020, informing them of the cancellation of the water rights and that they needed to surrender them immediately.
“Items of section 86 (1) (c) of the Act, this serves as a notice for you to forthwith surrender the Water permits numbers 10371 and 10372 to WARMA . You are further requested to have the said permits surrendered to the Authority no later than seven days from receipt of this letter,” read the notice in part.
However, Luapula Hydropower, in its response, reminded WARMA of the consent judgment and said they were wrong to cancel the wa-ter permits.
Luapula Hydropower further appealed WARMA’s decision to the minister, urging that the cancellation must be reversed because it was flawed.
Commenting on the summons which Lusaka magistrate Nthandose Chabala issued to the shareholders and directors of Luapula Hydro-power, the Chitimukulu of the Bemba speaking people stated that as chiefs surrounding the water falls, they are supposed to have shares in the projects so that their subjects benefit.
The Chitimukulu said they also get something from the projects as corporate social responsibility.
Author
