By NATION REPORTER
A COAL mining investor in Sinazongwe is seeking to acquire traditional land by enticing a traditional leader with a job as a watchman with a monthly salary of K500 should the traditional leader accept to give away his land.
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Siankodobo, Domiana Syamaluba, of Sinazongwe, is however dismayed that the Coal mining investor is scheming to take away his land and only employ him as a watchman with a mocking K500 salary.
Mr Syamaluba, who is the vice headman of Siankodobo in Sinazongwe has disclosed that he had been approached by the coal mining investor who has promised to pay him K500 as a salary for a watchman job in exchange for his own land.
Headman Siankodobo said he felt belittled and warned the investor that he would report him to the police if he was going to continue disturbing him over land.
Headman Siankodobo complained that many villagers have lost land from investors that are exploiting local communities.
He said this during the Sinazongwe District Mining “Indaba” held in Maamba.
Speaking during the “Indaba,” Centre for Environment Justice Executive Director Maggie Mwape urged communities to seek help when negotiating over land.
And Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) Programmes Officer – Social and Economic Justice, Andisen Zulu, said the government needed to develop a policy to protect against displacement of host communities and graves each time investors were awarded rights to conduct mining activities in the areas.
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