LUSAKA Mayor, Daniel Chisenga has demanded that Government terminates and reverses the transaction with Egyptian investors currently proposing to develop Baobab land on Kafue Road.
Speaking in an interview in Lusaka during the week, Mr Chisenga said that the previous Government allegedly usurped powers of the Lusaka City Council and single-handedly made the decision to give land to Legacy Holdings who promised to develop it by putting up a shopping mall, hotel and other structures.
Mr Chisenga said that when the council advertised asking residents to apply for plots in Baobab area, the Government accused councillors of wanting to share the plots among themselves.
He said it was on the basis of these unfounded suspicions that the previous Government usurped the powers of the local authority to give out land.
“We were ignored as a council by the MMD Government and what we are now asking the current Government is to reverse that whole transaction. From the start it is clear that there has been lack of transparency.
“As a council who are the planning authority, we are still in the dark about what these Egyptians are putting up there. All this is happening because the MMD decided to ignore us and it is appropriate that the Government reverses this transaction,” Mr Chisenga said.
He said that from the little information that the council had, it has turned out that Legacy Holdings allegedly sold the piece of land to an Egyptian investor who has only managed to set up base on the piece of land. Legacy Holding was given the land to develop and not to sell to other developers.
Mr Chisenga said that had the council been allowed to give out plots at the Baobab land, the local authority would have, by now, managed to develop it using service charges and land rates.
He said the land remained undeveloped to date because of the manner in which the transaction was handled.
Mr Chisenga said apart from servicing the area, the local authority could have been earning revenue through rates and service charges.
A Times visit to the area, recently, found a billboard that read: “Proposed Copperfield Village on sub 632 of Plot 4300.” The clients for the project are indicated as Legacy Holding Zambia. Legacy holding
Zambia was also the project manager.
[Times of Zambia]
we should also reverse development, past 20 years zambia has witnessed rumpant corruption. evrything is in reverse gear.
next we should reverse you. from the ttime you were born you’ve been a waste of space.
Reverse the deal & give it to NAPSA to build something presentable idf Legacy can’t build anything resonable. They should be fined for selling a pieace of land to the Egypians. The council should not turn a good prime land into another shanty compound. can the council service the eareas where people are already living. people need electricity, tarred roads and collection of garbage etc.
From what this mayor is saying, he seems to imply that that land is better off being given out even as an unserviced area so that revenue can be collected from it. That is the typical Zambian mentality. Half baked ideas, breeding archaic standards. He does not see anything wrong with what has obtained/obtaining in Lusaka! Lusaka except for a few areas is developing into a huge sewer pond, full of substandard structures. Look at town centre, simply an eyesore. All traffic is unnecessarily being led to the main sewer cesspool mistakenly taken as ‘City Centre’. Why can he make progressive ideas than this hopeless statements promising more litter.
I would prefer residential plots are given out on that piece of land BUT there should be strict standards that should be followed so that it doesn’t turn out in to a ‘maikulie’ arrangement. Lusaka has a critical shortage of accommodation and this needs to be addressed like yesterday.
Budweiser, reverse the whole country. Turn it upside down because it was facing the wrong way in the directionof corruption. Sounds like a joke but thats what Zambia became. A laughing stock due to corruption. Everyday people were plotting on how much they would steal from the country. Sad!!
Honarable Mayor,
An area such as that Baobab land if properly integrated could result in shaping the future standard of Lusaka. Why can’t we have progressives minds? The interest that investors have in that piece of land is stark-naked for anyone with the slightest business acumen to see. Mediocrity must not be allowed to blossom. But with this mayor’s statement, I fear we will remain so many light years behind.
Monk Sq Analysis,
Indeed shortage of basic accommodation is a real and present problem and should not be dismissed. But LCC must not continue to give out plots when clearly they have no capacity to provide services to such areas. What is wrong with Chalala if not this same haphazard plot allocation based only on a planned layouts, without due consideration to basic services. What makes Kabulonga more prime land than Chalala is simply the aspect of basic services. Now, just because the council does not capacity and resources does not mean than we should continue with making more shanties!
Bull shit when was the Council service residential plots in Lusaka, you are just bitter that the MMD Govt left you out of the Corrupt deal.
Dear All Bloggers
Before you start firing shots at the developer, I would like to quickly raise a few points against the above speculation as it is obvious the facts were not laid on the table for his Worship to verify and peruse.
1. The land in question was reposed by Ministry of Lands from Legacy for lack of development.
2. We presented a project to the government at the time to consider we BUY the land from government.
3. The project is a 1 Billion Dollar investment in a mixed use development that would allow Zambians to buy into a fully serviced and gated community. The houses are to be sold based on a payment plan that is interest free for a period of seven and half year period.
The houses start from 3 bedroom town houses starting at ZMK700 million to be paid over 7 and half years, the range continues to 5 bedroomed houses. Other than the residential part 1 shopping mall double the size of Manda Hill will be built, 2 schools, 1 medical center, 1 worship center, a Barcelona Football academy, 11 corporate buildings, a 5 star hotel and a main plaza. The developer has undertaken to do all services including roads, water, electricity and sewage.
4. Government approved under an investment license and the Bantu Capital Corporation is the first company to buy land from government at commercial value. We paid ZMK14.4 Billion for the land.
5. Currently the land is under development and the designs are on the drawing board.
Thanks Bantu Life for the information.This is the kind of development that we need in our country.Just look around us,our neighboring countries,i don’t know about Malawi,this is the development that is taking place in our neighbors.Or at least this is what has taken place.Bravo to the ones handling the project.This should also be extended to the copper-belt.
Bantu Life…that”s what we call development…well done and let’s hope sanity prevails over emotion.
There is something wrong with Mayor Daniel Chisenga. LCC is one of the most corrupt councils in Zambia. We have witnessed massive investments in Chalala and other parts of Lusaka where individuals have put up impressive buildings and the council has failed to provide the required services. The best the mayor can do is to ask the developer to speed up project implementation failure to which the council should seek Local Govt Minitry’s intervention. Giving back Baobab land to LCC will result into the councillors sharing the land and later reselling it at higher prices. There is still the Lilayi land scum which has died a natural death. We know who got what and who resold the lan d to whom. Ba Mayor Chisenga there are hot issues which you are supposed to be sorting out rather than yapping.
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Bwana Major, we bought the plots from the council and yet we have not been given anything; we lost millions as a result. I bought two plots there; still have the receipts!!
The Mayor has missed the point. Zambia is lacking infrastructure development and our capital city looks more like a farm with poor, old and dilapidated buildings. We neeed more capital project in terms of infrastructure develoopment. Its a pity that even at present times we donot have a world class international conference center, stadia etc.
Look at how bostwana has developed, road networks, standard buildings, etc..the moment you cross over the bouders into Bostwana or Katima mulilo, the system and everything changes including the mentality of the people.
I agree with number 1 blogger that we need to reverse leaders like the honourable mayor.. Corrupt and Foolish Chaps! Let the president watch-over such leaders and suck them without favor!
Yes land deals must be reversed. There was no regard for the people at the grass roots. The previous GOVT never put into consideration the needs of the people in Mandevu or Kapoto townships. Its time the GOVT prioritised the needs of the poorest that cannot aford the K700m houses. I personally propose that the GOVT start building the low cost houses like the RDP houses here in SA
Please reverse this mayor he has no brains
Useless mayor!
Did you say that he is mayor of Lusaka? If so then more development in 90 days, never mind their fairy world. Trouble is that the whole mob has no idea how long is 90 days.
our land laws r weak ,can the mayor pls help us on this issue ,imagine an indian owing the bigger land along the airport rd
can someone pls tel me if there are zambians who owns land in India or Egypt