By JAMES KUNDA – IT IS regrettable yet again for this platform to feature a write-up on illegal land allocation matters involving the councils.
This is because in some previous editions, this column has bemoaned the fact that innocent people are losing their structures on
findings that they were constructed on illegally acquired land.
One of the articles featured here covered the demolition of more than 200 houses belonging to people Kitwe’s Mindolo Township.
The land in question was said to be property of Mopani Copper Mines, Kitwe City Council (KCC) and Phoenix Materials owned by a business executive based in Ndola.
Not all the victims can be blamed because in most instances it may not even be known that the assent does not have the correct documentation to put it on sale.
Now Local Government and Housing Minister Stephen Kampyongo has suspended KCC and Ndola, Livingstone councils from allocating land after it was discovered that there was rampant illegal allocation of the asset in the three districts.
Some councilors are already facing the law on their alleged connection with the illegal sale of land.
The move by Mr Kampyongo is welcome because the need to halt illegal land allocation is dire.
Land is an asset which should be allocated equitably among the people but the case in Zambia is that some are having more than others. It is unfortunate.
Government has also established the task force on illegal land allocation which is being chaired by Home Affairs deputy minister Panji Kaunda.
Colonel Kaunda’s taskforce also deserves commendation for moving proactively in identifying the perpetrators of the vice which is eating away at proper infrastructural development.
Other than mere probing, there should be a permanent system to deal with the illegal allocation of land.
This is so because indeed there are people in some quarters of society who are able to hoodwink the law through means known to them.
Reforms in the land sector should be enhanced with the introduction of a portal which will enable officers to easy track irregularities in the allocation process beforehand.
This should be the primary occupation of the Ministries of Lands and Local Government because at this stage it is still unclear how much
land the country has in stock.
Thus it is difficult to track how much land has been allocated legally and illegally because information on the availability of the resource is scanty.
Land is a public resource hence the Government can engage institutions such as Transparency International Zambia to increase awareness among
local authorities on the need to abhor illegal land allocation.
Councils must also move fast in sensitising the public on the evils of acquiring land illegally as opposed to demolishing structures one
construction is completed.
Demolitions could be a way of cautioning people against acquiring land illegally but it is certainly not fair on an individual who has
invested their entire life earnings in securing a house for their family.
Send comments and contributions to jameskunda91@gmail.com or 0973182006.