Sun, 10 Dec 2017 11:24:43 +0000
By AARON CHIYANZO
LAND grabbing from locals in the name of foreign investors is becoming a pain in the neck and really annoying, Chief Chikwanda of Mpika has charged.
And Chief Chikwanda said that the Ministry of Lands should arrest the illegal grabbing of land from locals that had rocked the country in the name of increased investments.
He warned that government risked being labelled arrogant, not listening as people were being left helplessly in the cold.
Chief Chikwanda reiterated that his chiefdom had also been chocked with land issues where rich people illegally buy off land which was already given to other people.
He charged that land grabbing from locals in the name of foreign investors was becoming a pain in the neck as he was now always finding himself in court trying to sort out such issues.
Chief Chikwanda said that the council was always coming up with tricks, such as re-planning in order to take over the land from indigenous people.
“It’s really shocking what is happening. It’s actually not happening there in Lusaka alone, it’s even happening within my chiefdom. Where someone goes to a chief, maybe with a brown envelop and the chief consents, then later people are displaced because the new owners have title.
“What is happening is hell. We need the Ministry of Lands to step in because now people are saying this is not a listening government,” he said.
Chief Chikwanda said that in as much as investors were welcome and an integral part of development, the plight of indigenous Zambians should be top priority.
He reiterated that what was happening now was unacceptable as people were being displaced and left in the cold without alternative land.
Chief Chikwanda said that it was shameful that families could be displaced from their land of birth because of one investor.
He advised that there was need for locals to be engaged before giving away their land and that alternative land should be provided.
