Friday, March 29, 2024

Unruly Mindolo North residents run amok over their demolished houses

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demolished Kitwe house

A CLOUD of uncertainty has continued to characterize Mindolo North Township where the Kitwe City Council (KCC)’s operation to demolish houses built on illegally acquired plots was set in motion last week on Tuesday.

Following the joint State Police and KCC security personnel sustained operation that left over 400 families homeless, a group of unruly people mainly youths on Saturday mobilized and rioted.

The riotous gang descended on a private-owned Nkana College of Education campus situated within the locality of Mindolo North and started to raze the building infrastructure.

The rampaging gang armed with a range of missiles comprising stones, catapults, picks and other weapons first overpowered a State Police officer stationed there before they set out to damage the building infrastructure.

Copperbelt police commissioner Joyce Kasosa confirmed the incident and said number of people about 20 were apprehended in connection with the Saturday unruly conduct.

“Some people yesterday became unruly and wanted to destroy infrastructure for Nkana College of Education but police moved in and apprehended some of those involved,” she said.

Ms Kasosa who was not in position to give full details on the matter said unruly people mobilised and started demolishing the college infrastructure but that alert police moved in and prevented further destruction.

A Times reporter that rushed to the scene around 11:00 hours shortly after deployed riot police had displaced the riotous gang, found part of the wall fence had been destroyed and the gate completely damaged.

Eye witnesses said the mob first mobilized around 09:00 hours a short distance away from the Nkana College of Education premises.

They said after strategizing for some time, the mob then charged towards the college premises in full swing and first overpowered a police officer who was stationed there to provide security following the recent KCC operation to demolish houses built on illegally acquired plots in the area.

“After overpowering the police officer, the mob started bringing down the wall fence using picks and other iron bars,” the eye witnesses said.

They said the mob took that action after being incensed by the council’s move to demolish residential houses in the area but leaving out the college infrastructure.

12 COMMENTS

  1. Luanga thats the way to go althpugh its arsh, we need order in controlling the buildings, but government should find ways to empower all sectors of society. So while u do that find areas for low cost, medium cost and distribute equally. I just hope ur not reserving the land for foreigners as is the case in zambia now.

  2. The sense of entitlement that permeates some sections of our society is very worrying. Infringing private property rights to advance the illegality of the many is the second step to anarchy.

  3. This is NOT the way to fight illegality. The right way is to stop the building early.
    The children who are now being exposed to the cold and hardships related to loss of homes – perhaps the only home their guardians and parents will ever have in their lives. These children are ushered into poverty and harsh conditions and the government says this is justified because their parents were lawless. NO. I totally disagree. The local authorities are to blame because the illegal occupation and construction was happening right under their noses. You do not need 4x4s for the council employees to drive to these places and see. Council employees and councilors live in these places and see these things from start.

    • This is the only way to deter would be illegal settlers, hit them hard in their pockets and they will never do it again. It’s harsh but effective and less costly as you’ll not need to employ investigators to be going round townships looking out for illegal buildings. Its a responsibility of the title owner to be absolutely sure they are not building on someone else’s plot

    • #Let me say this, being humane or compassionate is subjective. Stopping people from spending any more money on unstable and sometimes dangerous structures, preventing the spread of disease in area without proper sanitation is being compassionate in my opinion. You cannot blame local authorities or anyone else for the misfortune of these people; it is their fault, arising mostly from their misguided desire to live in towns.

  4. Hey pple, wake up! The local govt and the Central government are simply postponing the problem here. Whether illegal or legally acquired, Zambia still has a huge housing deficit. The authority is even lucky that pple are willing to build. Why should it take pride in demolishing their houses when it has failed to open up places where we can build.? Why take pride in demolishing their houses?
    We have a lot of land, just open it up and let pple build. Acquisition of land has become an impossibility because the same councils are not making land available.

  5. The local authority is to blame because those people have legal documents and to have more than 400 structures being built on the same piece of land means somebody was aware. And why does it always take more than 4 years for council to move in.

  6. What I do not agree on this demolition exercise is this.Where were they, the Kitwe City Council when the houses started from foundation,slab,window and roofing levels?It is not fair on this exercise.Am not saying illegal is being welcomed ,no.But you also look at the level of corruption that was there by giving these people documents from the beginning.Who was giving these so called illegal plots for the people of Mindolo North to start building?Is it the Council or from Central Government?Gentlemen,we are seeing foreigners on our door steps getting what is not due to them.If you not benefited do not insight the demolition squad.Next time it will be you,Uncle,Brother,Aunt ,your family friend,your mother-in law

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