By JAJAH COULIBALY –
IN an interesting twist of events, the Kaindu Palace Committee has asked the Ministry of Local Government to dissolve the Mumbwa District Council and institute a land audit in the area following questionable land deals that are believed to have led to the death of two villagers in the area.
In an exclusive interview, the committee – comprising headmen, members of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and some residents from the Kaindu chiefdom who met at the Times of Zambia offices in Lusaka – said they wanted a thorough probe into the role of council officials and traditional leaders in the sale of land.
The committee revealed that it had  appealed to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to investigate how a chief’s brother, Cliff Kasise allegedly impersonating the chief to sign off a 99-year land lease with Kaindu National Resources Trust (KNRT) to conduct hunting and ranch activities in the area.
“Chief Kaindu was taken to some lodge in Mumbwa by representatives of (KNRT) run indirectly by a foreign investor to sign on a 99-year agreement to be in the chiefdom, but I, as headman, quickly organised a vehicle to get the chief away from the meeting leaving his brother behind who then signed on behalf of Chief Kaindu on a 99-year land lease,” said the committee’s representative Alex Chipindu.
The committee also revealed that a KNRT board member allegedly shot dead a fisherman named Vincent Mundemba and another man named only as Mr Kapili last year over differences connected to the lad deals.
The committee said though the incidents were reported to Police, nothing had been done to bring the culprit to book.
They said it was the duty of authorities to protect the welfare of communities and asked the Ministry of Mines to quickly halt illegal mining activities near a school in the chiefdom by Chinese team.
The committee further appealed to Local Government minister to intervene in the land scandals being caused by greedy investors and a few Zambians who they claim was being shielded by the Mumbwa District Council.
Local Government and Housing Minister Vincent Mwale told Sunday Times that he learnt of the land wrangle through the Ministry of Lands and was waiting for a written appeal to start investigations into the allegations.
He warned that appropriate action would be taken against any council workers found to be implicated in any wrong doing.