The Lusaka magistrate court today heard that
former minister of Lands Gladys Nyirongo questioned land officials on the delay in the numbering of subdivisions of farm number 390 A in Kabwe in Central Province.
Ministry of Lands Assistant Surveyor General, Tony Mwanalushi, 48, of 2704 Cedar road in Woodlands in Lusaka, told Magistrate Sharon Newa that, in December 2006, the former minister called him to her office to explain why there was a slight delay in the numbering of some property in Kabwe subdivision 390A.
Mr. Mwanalushi told the court that after going through the file, he discovered that the file was not complete because certain vital documents were missing.
This is in a case in which Nyirongo is charged with abuse of office of authority, offences, which she committed when she was still minister of Lands.
Mr. Mwanalushi told the court that, in acting to the then minister of Lands’ enquiry, he got documents relating to the same property but realized that there were some essential documents missing from the file.
He said he could not act on the directive by the former minister but instead requested that the vital documents be availed before the numbering of the property could go ahead.
He explained that the file did not contain important documents such as a letter from the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) indicating that it had given back the farm in question to government.
“I recall a day in December 2006, I got a call from the Minister’s secretary that I should go to the Minister’s office and I presented myself to the minister’s office. I found two other people in the minister’s office one of them was Samuel Daka whom I knew as an evaluation officer at the ministry of Lands,” he said.
The witness told magistrate Newa that there was suppose to be a stamped letter from the Kabwe Municipal Council in the site plan, but that this was not in the file.
Mr. Mwanalushi further said that he then wrote a memo requesting that the missing vital documents be provided before he could go ahead with the numbering of the said property.
In cross examination, lawyer representing Reverend Nyirongo, asked the witness on whether there was anything wrong with the file he got.
In response, Mr. Mwanalushi said there was nothing critically wrong with the documents in the file except that some of the important documents were missing.
Trial continues.
mumangeni
Baza manga muzi mai iyu.
This is what I call drama. Zambia has vast land which has not been used. Is LPM just using state machinery to mislead Zambians. Please lets use public resources on more meanful things. Corruption in government is in billions and billions. Has Mwanawasa answered how the daughter got a farm plot illegally in a certain part of Lusaka. His response was “she is an adult and she can provide an answer for herself”. Fellow Zambians, lets look at such issue more closely. However, the Reverand has a case though.
It is so difficult for us ordinary citizens to obtain even the smallest piece of land and yet others were dishing out lad to themselves, their children and spouses. shame. I have no mercy for such corrupt characters….they belong behind bars….eating beans and kapenta mixed with sand, snails and sticks.
Land, Land!Most of our land is being shared and we are seeing. For how long?Somebody has to be careful.Houses were sold,we never benefitted.Generals are in court, it is an issue!How much have you done for the people that uphold the sovereignity of Zambia?Soldiers have to queue for the plots in Kuku.is it fair? What has a 2 year cadre done to deserve those mansions?Its boiling and we are pretending!what have you done to an ordinary man on the street in terms of land?Housing policy,is it there? Everything is normal to you politicians?Ask the Kenyans, Zimbabwe,Namibia,South Africa,they will tell you! Land you are playing with is not yours alone.How many times have you used us?
Being black is a curse!!
No #6, being black is not a curse. When things go wrong they must be questioned! It is common for people to go quiet. Will the former Lands Minister speak out completely? I hope that she does.
When things go right applaud! We can change things but we have to make sacrifices. MPs stand on platforms as do government leaders -they all make promises which are forgotten when they are in office. We need proper civic education like Lucy started.We need accountability from everyone.
#8 Be careful in case you blasphemy against God?
sorry the above is meant for #6.
So much for ”an UPRIGHT WOMAN OF GOD”!
I am waiting to celebrate a coup to put in place a nationalist regime instead of thieves and thugs we now have in grz offices.