By KETRA KALUNGA
ILLEGAL land activities have deepened in Kabwe as Central Province Minister Sydney Mushanga confronted a councillor for allegedly selling part of market land to an investor.
Mr Mushanga, said “enough is enough” and that any councillor that would be found wanting would be dealt with by the law.
The minister warned councils and civic leaders in the area against illegal land allocation failure to which they would be punished accordingly.
Mr Mushanga added that Lands Minister, Jean Kapata, would soon be issuing a statement regarding the increased illegal land allocations in the district.
He sounded the warning when he visited Chimanimani market where the councillor, Mr Frazier Makaliki, is alleged to have sold part of the market land to a private developer only identified as Mr Sichone.
The minister who is Bwacha Member of Parliament said he was in the area to establish the truth behind the illegality.
He was accompanied by the provincial Permanent Secretary, Bernard Chomba, District Commissioner, Sam Lupupa Town Clerk, Joel Shawa and Kabwe Municipal Council director planning, Samson Phiri, among other officials.
Mr Mushanga asked Mr Makaliki who ferried building materials on the piece of land.
But Mr Makaliki got infuriated and told the minister that he has never been engaged on the matter as a councillor neither was he told about the visit.
He denied having anything to do with the sale of the land at the market adding he even queried the council when the matter came up for ratification during a full council meeting.
“Listen Minister, you should have called me instead of coming just like this with all these people, I had no hand in the illegal allocation,” he said.
But Mr Mushanga gave the developer 24 hours to remove the building materials from the land failure to which it would be forfeited to the state because he was building on land acquired illegally.
Author
