By SYLVESTER MWALE –

LOCATED in the peripherals of Lusaka city in the Garden House area, the Marble Village complex stands as a marvel to many who have visited the fast-emerging residential area.

This is despite the fact that it has survived what one could term as serious battles that at times ended up into bloodshed as illegal land
allocation reached its peak in recent years.

But for now, the battle for land in the area could easily be described as water under the bridge because of the recent developments that have continued to happen as residents bring up structures of different ranges.

High cost houses have been erected while a shopping complex and a police station appear to have brought civilisation in a place that has witnessed some of the highest levels of lawlessness in the past.

“I am pleased about the coming up of this complex because what used to happen was rather disheartening because cadres were the ones sharing the plots which did not belong to them,” said Betty Phiri, a resident in the complex.

The new shopping complex was once a battle field for cadres and CK Marble, an estate firm that has been administering the plots since early 2000s.

“This is an area which one cannot believe would attract lawless cadres who had the audacity to divide land that did not belong to them,” said CK Marble managing director Elijah Kasonso.

Mr Kasonso is, however, disheartened that some pockets of resistance of illegality still linger on although most of the perpetrators have in the recent past crushed by the law.

“Just last week, the police in Garden House managed to apprehend 18 culprits who have been cheating people that the land does not belong to CK Marble,” he said.

To the contrary, CK Marble has been in charge of the land and those that have acquired through the estate firm have been guaranteed of a title while those that have done otherwise have stood a risk of losing their money to cadres.

Ms Phiri is one of the residents who have acquired a piece of land through CK Marble and she has no regrets after being given a title for the piece of land.

“I am a title deed holder of a piece of land from CK Marble village complex. I want to appeal to those that still doubt to visit CK Marble instead of dealing with cadres because cadres will not give them the title deeds,” she said.

The confusion caused by the cadres in the area mirrors the situation in the capital city and other urban areas where the battle for plots has become ugly despite threats by the Government on those who perpetrate illegal allocation of land.

Therefore, the facilitation of acquisition of title deeds by CK Marble comes as a relief to those who have suffered victimisation and intimidation from cadres.

“The situation has not been good in the past, because cadres literally took charge of the land allocation,” said Joseph Mututubanya, a resident who had earlier paid the cadres before realising that the piece of land does not belong to them.

“At first I thought they were real owners and they cheated me because I was convinced that they could protect me, but I have realised that they are just crooks”.

Mr Mututubanya, who had initially resisted to deal with CK Marble, said many people had now realised that the estate firm is the real owner of the land.

Arnold Chembo is another resident who is waiting for the title deed after his plot was recently surveyed by the Ministry of Lands.

Like his colleagues, Mr Chembo noted that the cadres were losing the battle to control the Marble Village following the legalisation of the plots.

“I am happy that I am about to get a title,” Mr Chembo said. “The cadres are no longer there and everyone appears to be appreciating the fact that CK Marble is the owner of the land.”

Mr Chembo said there had been battles in the past because politicians had tolerated the illegal allocation of land.

Much as people are realising that getting involved in illegal land allocation does not pay, there is still some pocket of unscrupulous people that have continued to mislead the people in the area.

In fact, some people have painted a picture that CK Marble is not the owner of the land despite the company having all the necessary documents of the farm Number NI 1938 which has been subdivided into plots.

“There is a crop of some people around this area who do not want to follow the law,” said Mr Kasonso, who has been the victim of hooliganism perpetrated by some cadres in the area.

Mr Kasonso believes that a ray of hope glimmered at the end of the proverbial tunnel when the Patriotic Front (PF) took over power in 2011 and promised to end the skirmishes.

“This was a battle field and we thank the PF Government, through President Sata, for bringing sanity in this area,” he added.

“Despite us having all the documentation of ownership to the land from the Ministry of Lands and the Lusaka City Council, the cadres feared no one, not even the police.”

The court has given the company the green light to demolish the structures whose owners have refused to legalise them although

the company has decided to take a human face by asking the squatters to legalise their plots before harsher sanctions are implemented.

However, those that have managed to legalise their structures have offered the estate company an opportunity to establish a modern housing complex – Marble Village – which will see more than 1,000 housing units built.

For now, modern structures, that include houses, a shopping complex, a police post and several other facilities are already visible and one hopes that the place, that was once a battle field, will become a perfect sanctuary for many people.