LAND SCAM DEEPENS

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 09:39:26 +0000

…as Ministry of lands gives plots to foreigners

without the president’s authority 

THE Ministry of Lands is giving plots to foreigners without the authority of the president, contrary to provisions of the land conversion of titles amendment Act No. 2 of 1985.

Meanwhile, some senior officials in the ministry have sent emissaries to complainants whose plots were ‘stolen’ to lure them to withdraw the matter from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and discredit the reports in the Daily Nation about the scam.

According to the Act on Land conversion of titles Amendment No. 2 of the 1985, a non-Zambian can only be granted a piece of land if his application has been approved in writing by a Republican President of Zambia.

But a senior officer in the Ministry of Lands has told the Daily Nation that all these preliminary procedures are never followed, adding that the allocation of a plot in Roma to Felix Yona, a foreign national of NRC No. 992225/11/2, was just the tip of the iceberg as the president never authorised most of the plots given to foreigners.

The source said some influential people in the ministry were involved in corrupt activities while using the council as a rubber stomp.

“What you have been reporting about is a minor issue. There is serious corruption in the ministry where some people who think they are untouchable are using their firms to do the job that is supposed to be done by surveyors in the ministry and all of us are just watching.

“Most of these structures you see across the country where defenceless people are displaced and piece of land is given to foreigners are never approved by the president. It is the work of some people in this ministry and if this is not stopped, the future of this country is at stake,” the source said.

To obtain approval of the president, a non-Zambia wishing to own a piece of land is required to submit his application to the district council concerned for scrutiny and in considering the application, the district council is at liberty to solicit for as much information as possible from the applicant about the intended development.

When recommending to the Commissioner of Lands, the district council is required to give full back-up information in support or against the application in addition to extracts of the minutes of the committee council for land matters, embodying the relevant resolution and showing who attended the meeting duly authenticated by the chairperson and the district executive secretary.

This is supposed to be indicated by four copies of the approved lay-out plan showing the site applied for, duly stamped and endorsed by the chairperson of the copuncils and the district executive secretary where the site has not been numbered.

Meanwhile, emissaries have been to the eight individuals whose plots were wrestled from them to try to cover up the land scam by luring the affected individuals to withdraw the case from ACC and rubbish the stories which have been running in the Daily Nation.

Sources within the ministry told the Daily Nation yesterday that senior officials linked to the land scandal involving eight plots in Roma Township in Lusaka a day ago sent their “boys” to ask the eight to withdraw the case and distance themselves from what has been reported by the Daily Nation.

“You have created panic among people linked to the scandal and emergency meetings have been held since the issue came out. There is no immediate remedy to the mess but one of the solutions was to lure the eight to withdraw the case from ACC and discredit what you have been publishing, with promises that they will be given back their plots.

“However, the eight have rejected the offer, saying they had tried their level best to resolve the matter but the ministry was not committed. Things are bad. It has been meeting after meeting to try and cover up the mess because they know that through this, many more land scandals in which they are involved will come up. Some of them already have bad names with the appointing authority and are scared of losing their jobs,” a source said.