By MILDRED KATONGO and MOFFAT CHAZINGWA – PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has signed the Statutory Instrument to degazette 8,561 hectares of land for squatters in Luanshya’s Maposa area. Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili said the land, which will be demarcated into 2,500 plots, would be given to the squatters at cost of K50. Mr Chishimba who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said Government had fulfilled the promise by giving land to the poor at an affordable price. He said Government was aware of the many challenges the people in the area faced and that it was important that they were given land at a low cost. Mr Kambwili said Maposa zone A would have 4,345 hectares while zone B would have 4216 hectares and that the rest of the hectares would be demarcated to others who would want to buy from Luanshya Municipal Council (LMC) at a cost of K6, 000. He said the demarcation of the land would commence today and that by June, each squatter would be given the land with supported documents from the local authority. He, however, warned the planning department at LMC to give priority to the vulnerable people when demarcating land. “I am warning the planning department from LCM to give priority to the poor and then demarcate land to those who will be buying at a high price. I do not want to hear that people in planning department are being unfair and demarcating land to other people with money,” he said. He also said that people should cooperate when the process to demarcate land commences as it would inconvenience them a little bit. Meanwhile Mr Kambwili said during a party mobilisation public rally held in Kalulushi at the weekend that the Link-Zambia 8000 Road project and the construction of 120 new secondary schools as well as 34 new district hospitals countrywide had demonstrated Government’s commitment to develop the nation. Kalulushi Member of Parliament Rayford Mbulu said the district had its good share of development with almost all the roads including townships tarred. PF Copperbelt party mobilisation Chairperson Joe Malanji called on the people to continue rallying behind President Edgar Lungu because he had demonstrated good leadership qualities by managing the transition period exceptionally well. Mr Malanji said people who have been in Government before and had lamentably failed to manage their own welfare were the ones attacking the current regime.