The Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council (NGOCC)has called on council country wide to take the issue of land allocation seriously so as to avoid putting citizens in difficult and uncomfortable situations such as the recent demolitions in Kitwe where over 400 families have been left in the cold.
NGOCC Executive Director Engwase Mwale said councils in the country must clean up the their systems and structure so as to ensure that people that are not well meaning in the councils who are allocating land illegally to unsuspecting citizens are flashed out of the system.
Ms. Mwale noted that if land allocation is to become more transparent there is need for councils across the country to ensure that the systems and structure are cleaned up and council officials who illegally allocate land to citizens are flashed from the system immediately to avoid a repeat of what happened in the Copperbelt.
And Ms Mwale has called on the Kitwe City Council to ensure that people whose houses were demolished are not left in the cold for too long as there are children spending nights in the cold.
She added that it is of great importance that families spending nights in the open are not left to spend the night outside for too long as children might start getting sick which will be another predicament for the families.
She further urged Zambians to ensure that they go through the right procedure when they are obtaining land and avoid being found in such situations.
Meanwhile NAREP president Elais Chipimo condemned the actions of the Kitwe City Council saying the council should have tried to find other solutions before engaging in such a reckless exercise.
He said what the council did was inhuman as there is no way they can demolish so many houses and affecting so many families without providing alternative solutions and that NAREP will never support such actions.
Mr. Chipimo further said the actions of council was inhuman and unacceptable as Zambia being a civilized country other solutions could have been found before taking such drastic measures further wondering what kind of people puts their friends in such hardships when they can hardly survive with the hash economic challenges the country is going through.
Well said.If only the council had acted earlier.
“Meanwhile NAREP president Elais Chipimo condemned the actions of the Kitwe City Council saying the council should have tried to find other solutions before engaging in such a reckless exercise.”.
Mr CHIPIMO, YOU HAVEN’T SUGGESTED ANY SOLUTION(S). I THINK CONDEMNING WITH SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS IS BETTER. I STILL REPEAT, THE COUNCIL TOOK A BOLD STEP AFTER ALL ARROGANCE FROM THE CITIZENS ALL OVER ZAMBIA. BUT, THE PEOPLE INVOLED IN ILLEGAL SELLING OF LAND MUST BE ARRESTED, NOW TO ANSWER CHARGES BORDERING ON CORRUPTION, ABUSE OF AUTHORITY AND STEALING.