Mwanawasa calls chiefs for cooperation on land issues

President Mwanawasa has called on Chiefs in the country to cooperate with government when releasing land for development purposes.

Mr. Mwanawasa said investors will need more land for the expansion of the existing investments and the involvement of Chiefs was cardinal.

Mr. Mwanawasa, who advised the Chiefs to use the available land effectively, however cautioned the Chiefs against issuing land to bogus investors.

He was speaking in Lusaka today at the official opening of the First Session of the Second House of Chiefs.

He told the Chiefs that careless issuance of land to foreigners will lead the country to a second colonization.

And President Mwanawasa has reiterated his advice to the Chiefs in the country to refrain from settling succession disputes through courts or by involving government.

Mr. Mwanawasa emphasized that courts have no experience in handling traditional matters, saying it was the responsibility of Chiefs to deal with issues of succession themselves.

The President said despite his earlier advice, succession disputes are still being referred to the courts and the government.

He reiterated that it would be futile to have the House of Chiefs which fails to resolve uncalled-for wrangles in Chiefdoms, adding that in order to reduce on succession wrangles, all Chiefs should have family tress deposited with the Provincial Local Government Officer and the Ministry of Local government and Housing.

He further advised politicians to refrain from involving themselves in succession wrangles.

On boundary disputes, President Mwanawasa has directed the Ministry of Lands to provide up-to–date boundary maps of all the Chiefdoms in the country.

The president said there is need to physically mark out traditional Chiefs’ boundaries on the ground in order to deal with the ever-increasing boundary disputes among Chiefs.

He explained that when disputes arise, a map from the Survey Department is used to arbitrate in these disputes showing the general Chiefs’ boundaries.

Mr Mwanawasa noted that the creation of new districts in certain cases has placed Chiefdoms in two or more districts, saying there is need to reconcile provincial and district boundaries as there are mere government administrative boundaries and do not alter Chiefdom boundaries.

He directed that Chiefs whose boundaries may have been affected by the creation of new districts do not lose their customary and traditional role in the affected districts.

President Mwanawasa said there is no district in the country that has no Chief saying all 72 Districts in the country should have a Chief representative in their councils to ensure that the culture of that particular area is not lost.

He directed the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to ensure that no Chief in the country is disadvantaged on account of creation of new districts by government.

Opposition United Party for National Development President Hakainde Hichilema was among Cabinet Ministers and Senior government officials who attended the opening of the House of Chiefs.