Dear Editor,
A SCAM has been uncovered by the Ministry of Lands in which some unscrupulous Zambians are helping foreigners to acquire big chunks of land. The scam is occurring mostly in Lusaka.
The practice by some Zambians who assist the foreigners to acquire big chunks of land is tantamount to committing crime.
The foreigners upon acquiring land resell the same piece of land at exorbitant prices thereby exploiting the indigenous Zambians.
As if this is not bad enough, Zambians are deprived of the right to own land. This should not be the case and the practice must be curtailed.
I therefore appeal to the law enforcers, the police, to arrest people who aid the foreigners to acquire land.
The foreigners can own land in Zambia quite allright but it should not exceed a certain limit. The acquisition of land in our country is the preserve of Zambians.
Looking at the current scenario where foreigners have the audacity to approach the traditional rulers and buy the latter’s huge portion of land simply entails that there is laxity on land law. The best thing to do is to strengthen the law on land acquisition in our country.
If the trend of foreigners acquiring big chunks of land through Zambiansis not checked, it will ultimately lead to internal displacement of people.
It is good that the scam has been uncovered. It is incumbent upon the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Home Affairs to avert the problem of foreigners acquiring big chunks of land.
The gist of the matter is that a Zambian cannot acquire land in China and Tanzania, among other countries. The law on land acquisition in some countries is so strict that foreigners cannot even dream of owning land.
I feel the stiff laws on land acquisition by foreigners in other countries must be replicated in our country.
To crown it all, the culprits who aid foreigners to acquire land must be nabbed because this is abetting crime which is unacceptable.
ELEMIYA PHIRI,
Lusaka.
