By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –
THE opposition Green Party of Zambia has said it will progressively address issues of land and compensation if the party forms government after next year’s January 20 elections.
Party president Peter Sinkamba said his government would ensure that citizens evicted from the areas they have stayed for more than 10 to 20 years because of lack of title or their properties damaged because of mining activities are compensated.
“As Green Party, we are extremely saddened that a lot of Zambians, especially the poor and women are either evicted from their areas where they stayed for over 10 to 25 years because of lack of title or
properties damaged because of mining activities and there is no compensation for them,” he said.
Mr Sinkamba said this during his campaign trail when visited the houses in J-Section of Chamboli Township in Kitwe where more than 265 houses have been cracked by mining activities from Zambia
Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) and Mopani Copper Mines operations.
The Green Party leader cited Copperbelt where over 260 houses in Chamboli and another 300 in St Anthony as well as Chiwepala in Chingola and Mufulira where almost 200 and 250 houses respectively, had been cracked due to mining activities and Government had allegedly not paid attention to get them compensated.
He further singled out residents who stayed in Mindolo Township for over three years and had their houses demolished by the Kitwe City Council but had not been compensated.
“The policy of Green Party if voted into government is to compensate all the properties that have been affected by mining activities and if there is no proof that the damages have been caused by current or on-going
mining activities, government will have to compensate them by constructing them houses away from dangerous areas,” he said.
Mr Sinkamba said if, however, proven that damages were caused by current or on-going mining activities, mine companies responsible would be compelled to compensate by constructing houses away from dangerous areas.
In this regard if voted, the Green Party government would undertake an audit through a technical committee to be set up to determine the exact number of properties the exact number of properties affected as well as evaluate the cause and when the damages was occasioned.
After this assessment, within a year the process of constructing the houses would be undertaken either by government or the mine companies which ever the case.
“As for those whose properties were demolished by the council like Mindolo residents, if it is established that they stayed on those plots for over two years and above, government would compensate them
by constructing for them new houses elsewhere,” he said.
Mr Sinkamba said the Green Party government would then proceed to make changes to the Land Act where whoever has stayed on a piece of land for above two years, they would be granted title to the land.
In addition, powers granted to councils to alienate land on behalf of the Ministry of Lands would be revoked and instead, decentralise the ministry to have offices in each and every district.