By SIMON MUNTEMBA
IT is traumatizing to hear that Government wants to demolish my retirement house in which all my savings went when I was in office, former minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Lawrence Sichalwe has lamented.
In an interview, Mr Sichalwe told the Daily Nation that his family was in tears to hear that his house in Forest 27 area which he built using his hard-earned money was earmarked for demolition.
This was after Lusaka City Council through the office of the Director of City Planning served him an enforcement notice that his house in Forest 27 had been marked for demolition in 28 days starting from, Friday, November 26 because it was an unauthorised structure.
Other affected prominent persons who were also served with the enforcement notice are former republican vice president Inonge Wina, former ministers Michael Katambo, Chitalu Chilufya, Charles Banda, Davis Chama, Sydney Mushanga, Edify Hamukale, as well as former republican President Rupiah Banda’s son, Andrew.
“I am actually cooling down my daughter because this is traumatizing my family. All my investment went into constructing a house where I would live once I left office. My grandchildren are in tears to hear that people want to demolish our house, I built using my hard-earned money,” Mr Sichalwe said.
Mr Sichalwe said as an aggrieved land developer, he would appeal to the Urban and Reginal Planning Appeal Tribunal to fight back because the pending demolition of his retirement house in Forest 27 was illegal as he followed the right procedure to develop the land.
He however wondered why the enforcement notice gave him seven days to appeal from August 24, 2021 when it was delivered and issued on November 26, 2021.
“The way forward is that I will appeal according to the date of notice which is November 26. But I will make mention to say that I was given a lee way to appeal before the expiry date of seven days from August 4. I will assume that my seven days appeal period is from November 26.
“By law, I am grieved and I will appeal. I can’t say much, but I will appeal. I am actually preparing some documentations here. We will exhaust the legal process,” he said.
Meanwhile, former minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo said he was not worried over the pending demolition of his property in Forest 27 because he followed the right procedure when acquiring and developing the land in question.
“I am not affected because I have everything in place. The notice also talks about those who didn’t do the inspection with engineers at the council the time they started the foundation among other procedures. Us we did everything required and I have all the documents they require,” Mr Katambo said.
Sixth republican President Edgar Lungu signed SI No 62 of 2017 degazetting of the Forest number 27, which the UPND Government warned that they would demolish all structures in the area because they were illegally allocated.
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