MINISTER PETITIONED

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 09:55:25 +0000

…Illegal land saga now taken to provincial minister

By BENNIE MUNDANDO

KALUNDU residents have officially lodged a complaint with Lusaka Province minister Japhen Mwakalombe, asking him to intervene in the construction of a mall without approval from relevant authorities by ensuring that the structure is demolished.

In a letter dated June 28, 2017, and signed by representatives Ruth Mudondo and Maggie Nakazwe, the residents are demanding for the demolition of the structure and the immediate deportation of the three Chinese behind the project for violating the laws of Zambia.

They are also demanding the confiscation of the said piece of land, a public apology to the residents as the case is in China when one was found wanting under similar circumstances because the said investors had recklessly ridiculed Zambians by disobeying the country’s laws.

“As the plot was purchased by an illegally registered company, the complete transaction and ownership of the land is illegal. The Chinese company has no rights to own this land and the land should be confiscated by the State. The State should auction this land to legitimate buyers and the proceeds should be used to improve the roads or be spent on some worthy cause that will benefit Zambian society. “The Chinese company has not followed Zambian planning laws and protocol. They have repeatedly ignored orders to stop construction. Regardless of the outcome of a planning meeting, the Chinese company cannot benefit from illegal construction. As is customary in China, the guilty party in this case should publicly apologize to the Zambian government, people and residents of Kalundu and be deported for violating Zambian laws,” the letter reads in part.

The residents contend that apart from backing from the Lusaka City council, the company did not have any approval from the National Council for Construction (NCC) and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and that all their drawings were in Chinese, a development which raises questions on the quality of the structure.

“The company has systematically avoided any planning regulations and has displayed complete disregard for the laws and institutions of Zambia. The Kalundu residents became concerned when a Chinese company, Shumeite Investment Limited, suddenly commenced construction of a multi-storey commercial building on Plot 5477 Libala Road, Kalundu, Lusaka.

‘‘The workers on the site told local residents that the intention of the Chinese company was to open a casino on the site. The plot is located in a prime residential area and no applications had been made by the Chinese company to attain planning permission or legal consent to convert the site from residential to commercial,” reads the letter in part.

The NCC has since halted the project because the developer has failed to produce approved documentation from the Lusaka City Council. NCC executive director Matthew Ngulube told the Daily Nation last week that the council halted the project because the contractor did not meet the benchmarks needed before the project could take off, adding that among other irregularities, Shumeite was not registered with NCC. “The project was halted on the June 23, 2017, because it has not been registered with the NCC as per requirement of SI no. 39 of 2015. The other reason was that the developer failed to provide the NCC with approved drawings from the Lusaka City Council. “We are aware that for the Lusaka City Council to approve a project like that, they have to satisfy themselves in all aspects of the project including approving change of use from residential to commercial or whatever the case may be. We also discovered that no consultants (i.e. architects, engineers, quantity surveyors etc.) were available for supervision of the project,” Mr. Ngulube said.