Friday, March 29, 2024

Government supports the demolishing of houses by Kitwe City Council

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Local Government and Housing Minister Emmanuel Chenda
Local Government and Housing Minister Emmanuel Chenda

GOVERNMENT has backed Kitwe City Council (KCC)’s decision to demolish houses built on illegally allocated land in Mindolo and warned that it would not tolerate lawlessness.

Minister of Local Government and Housing Emmanuel Chenda said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that building structures on land belonging to either local authorities or private institutions is illegal and would not be allowed.

“As Minister of Local Government and Housing, I will not allow a situation where people indiscriminately break the law. All responsible citizens should support us to build a better Zambia for all. There is a government in place and all citizens should rally behind this government and not champion illegal things,” Mr Chenda said.

He said building of houses and other structures on illegally allocated plots should not be tolerated by all well-meaning Zambians.

Local authorities have a right to demolish structures built on their land because they are safeguarding it for future use.

He said citizens have the right to report illegal activities as a way of helping Government to govern according to the will of all Zambians.

The system of building structures on illegally allocated land is not only rampant in Kitwe but has also been reported in Lusaka.

“Even here in Lusaka, we have reports of people building on illegally acquired plots. These people are building at night near railway lines not knowing that this is posing a serious threat to their lives. This is why we have come up with a new urban plan,” Mr Chenda said.

The Government is doing its best to curb illegal building of houses and other structures.
He urged citizens to take a leading role in supporting Government.

Last Thursday, a combined team of Zambia Police and KCC demolished houses constructed on illegally allocated plots and arrested 32 people involved in the activity in Kitwe’s Mindolo township.

KCC public relations officer Dona Mbalwe said some unscrupulous people had invaded council land and that of Mopani Copper Mine, allocating themselves pieces of land where they had built houses.
Ms Mbalwe said the illegal structures were demolished because they were erected without authority from the council.

But United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema said demolishing poor people’s houses in Kitwe and some parts of the country must immediately be halted.

“While we do not condone illegal occupation of people’s properties, we feel there must be a more humane way of resettling people that have built on such plots,” Mr Hichilema said.

9 COMMENTS

  1. Let government find a humane way of resettling people from the demolished government. Yes, land was occupied illegally, but government has a responsibility to all it’s citizens regardless of circumstance. Even serious criminals are taken care of bu GRZ in prisons. Could govt please act and bring to book those that sale land to unsuspecting citizens.

    • That is Sata for you. Prior to the elections in 1991, When Sata was minister of local government, he allowed UNIP secton chairmen to issue plots to poor people in order to win support from the people and make UNIP popular in anticipation of the 1991 elections.

      Now what happened next shocked me. Sata joined MMD and once MMD ascended to power Sata retained his ministrial job as minister of local government. Immediately he authorised the demolishing of the houses of people who got plots through UNIP mobilisation efforts.

      So what is happening in CB is no surprise. Sata has allowed it to happen because those people no longer support PF and Sata. What Sata is doing is punishing them for not supporting him. Why did PF councillors give out those plots without following proper procedures?

  2. those are people who voted for you and put you in power, why can’t you for once see their need for shelter, Government is supposed to make sure everyone has access to shelter,

  3. Former Mayor of Chingola was forced to KNEEL @at a public rally in chingola for having accepted to demolish houses. It was WRONG then and it has become CORRECT now. RUBBISH

    • Much as I do not condone illegal structures, I still wonder where the council was up to the time more than 400 houses were built. Was the council asleep all this time? Does the council know that people spent money to build those houses? Does the council know that people got loans to build those houses? Does the council know that there are children sleeping in the cold and will no longer go to school? This country has wrong people in councils!

    • @Peter

      Have you just discovered how evil Sata is .
      Sata knew that his councillors in PF run councils were giving out plots illegally but he did nothing to stop it because it was helping PF gain popularity. Now that PF’s popularity is dwindling in those areas, he has instructed those councils to repossess that land and demolish any structure built on it.

      Sata now wants to use the same plots being repossessed to win support by reallocating them to those will who will swear to support PF in 2016 general elections.

      This is Sata’s vengeance at it’s best. Now you the monster you support unreservedly.

  4. “As Minister of Local Government and Housing, I will not allow a situation where people indiscriminately break the law…. a government in place and all citizens should……not champion illegal things,” !!

    Emmanuel Chenda, then go to your clown boss in State House and tell him to kick out “acting” Chief Justice Chibesakunda that was appointed ILLEGALLY and UNCONSTITUTIONALLY!

    Walk the WALK, don’t just talk the TALK!

  5. New Urban Plan for Lusaka? Sounds good and it will be better if it is actualised.

  6. People to be disciplined are alot. Do we have inspectors from the councils? If we do, why should they be spared? Personally i do not know the correct people to handle issues of LAND even scared to buy one. Umwenso wakushita walisa pantu its evil to allow people build and move in to demolish. Such culprits need stoning

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