Fri, 23 Jun 2017 14:47:01 +0000
By Bennie MUNDANDO
A shopping mall being erected in the middle of residential area, at break neck speed to avoid imminent demolition has riled, Lusaka’s Kalundu residents.
And now more than 300 Kalundu residents have vowed to fight the council to the bitter end to stop the construction of the mall which they say has been irregularly authorised by individuals in the Council.
According to the angry residents, a Chinese investor who bought a residential plot at 5477 Libala road near Victoria in December last year has started constructing a high rise commercial property without the requisite change of use zone approval.
In May this year alarmed by massive construction on the site residents on June 1 sent representatives to the Council to seek an explanation why the Chinese developer had been allowed to commence works without prior notice for change of use from residential to commercial as required by the Urban and regional planning Act No.3 of 2015.
On June 5 the Lusaka City Council put up a notice calling for submissions and observations from the public on the construction of the same structure. This is a 30 day notice that will expire on 4th July 2017.
On June 6th the Director of City planning at the Council, Godwin Chinoya, wrote a letter to the developer, Shumeite Investments to halt construction works and demolish whatever had been constructed because they did not have permission from the council.
The Chinese company ignored the ordered and doubled its work operating day and night.
On 12th of June residents went to the council to complain about the defiance but were shocked to find that Council Town Clerk had written to the Chinese company allowing them to proceed with construction.
Lusaka City mayor Wilson Kalumba said the residents’ accusations were baseless as there was nothing wrong with the project as the Chinese investor had erected the structure in an area which was under mixed development, according to the Lusaka master plan.
The residents are puzzled by the contradictory instructions and now Group spokesperson Namwiinga Sichula has said there was clear indication of collusion between the council and the Chinese investor and have warned that resident would not sit idle as the law was being frustrated with impunity.
The Council letter stated, “You have commenced construction for a structure believed to be for offices and shops without the benefit of planning permission from the city of Lusaka planning authority. You are hereby ordered to demolish the said development and restore the land to its original state as before the said illegal development took place within a period of 28 days from the 6th day of June 2017.” the letter reads in part.
Ms. Sichula, however, warned that the residents would not sit idle and watch the council promote lawlessness by flouting provisions of the law that governed such business undertakings.
