Wed, 27 Dec 2017 13:19:39 +0000
By Bennie Mundando
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) cadres in Lusaka’s Barlastone area have reportedly wrestled part of farm No. 693/A/28 where they have started cultivating without the permission of the owner while claiming that they had permission from Lands Minister Jean Kapata.
And documents from Matero police station indicate that two of the cadres were arrested towards the end of last month for criminal trespass after establishing that the farm legally belonged to Mr Webster Mhango, contrary to their argument.
The cadres, led by Mwembeshi ward PF chairlady Josephine Phiri Tembo, who was found weeding her crops yesterday, have allotted themselves portions of the farm including a portion where the owner had ploughed in readiness for planting.
Speaking to the Daily Nation crew that visited the farm yesterday, Ms. Tembo said as far as she was concerned, the farm did not belong to Mr. Mhango and that if it were so, she would not have planted crops on the same piece of land. She said the land belonged to one of the squatters, Ms Ketty Mwale and that she got permission from her before planting.
“I could not have come here and got this piece of land if I was not sure who owns it. You can’t expect me to do such a thing. As far as I am concerned, Mr. Mhango does not own this land,” Ms. Tembo said.
When contacted for a comment, Ms. Mwale said she owned the land but when pressed to confirm if she had any documents to substantiate her claims, she said she will only talk to Ms. Kapata with whom she has an appointment next week.
Meanwhile, Ms Jenifer Mhango, wife of the owner of the farm, said the PF cadres have been threatening her family for a long time over the same farm, adding that some of them had initially sold plots to some people who only stopped constructing when they were sued.
