Sat, 24 Jun 2017 11:39:19 +0000
BY VIOLET TEMBO
THE land wrangle involving a Somali national and 37 Ndola residents whose structures were razed to pave way for the rightful owner, a Mr Kalif, to take possession of the building site, has escalated with police arresting four people for allegedly demolishing the investor’s wall fence.
As tension has heightened at the Kaloko light industrial site, police apprehended four unidentified males caught red-handed demolishing a wall fence constructed on the disputed land.
One on the affected developers Kelvin Bwalya has appealed to Government to intervene in the matter and help the affected 37 residents whose structures have been demolished.
Mr Bwalya accused the police of siding with the Mr Kalif and not taking action when the local developers make any formal complaints.
“As developers whose structures were demolished on the site that Mr Kalif claims ownership, we are disappointed that we are not getting any help from relevant offices responsible to resolve this issue.
‘‘The case is not in court but Mr Kalif has continued to construct a wall fence and enclosed some buildings which had been demolished.
‘‘Imagine this is happening even before the court can exhaust the process. We are at pains to have made formal complaints to the police but nothing has been done to stop him but if it is Kalif that makes formal report to the police at Masala, we see two police Land Cruisers escort vehicles. This is creating tension and people might take the law into their own hands,’’ Mr Bwalya said.
And Philemon Mpundu claims that he has letters of offer from Ndola City Council (NCC).
Mr Mpundu said the tension between the two camps was heightening as the Somali national was given a go-ahead by the council to develop the land under dispute.
He said that he has failed to raise more money to take legal action as all the finances he had was used to develop the structure that was demolished.
He has asked the authorities to step in the dispute as he feared that a life might be lost in the event that a clash occurred as it was eminent.
Meanwhile, police officer-in-charge of Masala police station only identified as Mr Mphande stated that the police only ended at enforcing the law and the aggrieved developers must make formal complaints before the courts of law.
He has appealed to the developers to keep off the site in question, as the case was being resolved before the courts of law.
Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Jonas Chanda who visited the site, also appealed to the residents to allow the court process continue.
Dr Chanda has asked the police to release those that had been apprehended and were in police custody at Masala police station.
He stated that if the police were of the view that the suspects had a case to answer, they should also arrest Mr Kalif for having continued to develop the area despite the case being active in court.
He has appealed to the residents to retrain themselves and not be in conflict with the law.
