By KALOBWE BWALYA
LUSAKA Province Minister, Bowman Lusambo, has halted construction at a building near the Kabwata Cultural Village.
The minister has also threatened to demolish the building if the developer does not produce council documentation authoritising the works by today.
But the council has refused authorising any construction works on the piece of land.
Mr Lusambo has directed the PF Kabwata constituency chairman, Trevor N’gandu, to remove any person at the site until the owner of the property was established.
Mr. Lusambo also directed Lusaka City Council (LCC) to hand over the file to him so that he could establish the person who was in charge for the allocation of land.
He was speaking when he conducted an impromptu tour at Kabwata gym and Kabwata cultural village yesterday.
The minister said the land where the building is belonged to Kabwata cultural village national heritage site.
He expressed shock that the land which belonged to Government could easily be given out without following procedure.
Meanwhile, acting Lusaka Mayor Christopher Shakafuswa explained that in 2014 the matter was brought to during the full council meeting.
He said the guidance then was that the council could not give away the land because Government needed to preserve history of Zambia and that the area was national heritage.
On the gym, Mr. Shakafuswa however said the council was working on modalities with Kabwata gym to ensure that the building was modernized as it is an old structure.
Kabwata ward councilor 6 Longa Chiboboka said, what was need was a modern gym for Kabwata community.
Mr. Chiboboka said no single individual would sell the gym, adding that he would ensure that the community protected it.
He said he does not remember seeing this matter before the full council meeting, therefore the need to investigate how it was acquired.
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