Residents of Ntekete in Chief Shaibila’s area in Mkushi district have threatened to fight back investors who are reportedly burning houses and firing gunshots as tactics to evict 4,000 settlers.
Spokesperson for the residents, Felix Bemba told ZANIS that 19 men believed to have been sent by land investors allegedly burnt 19 houses last week leaving the affected families homeless.
Mr. Bemba explained that the 19 men who are believed to have come from outside Mkushi were armed with teargas canisters and two rifles.
He said that this was the second incident in which armed men had come to the area, fired gun shots and teargas in the village before burning some houses.
He said that Residents were hopeful that government would help to address the matter promptly, adding that they did not rule out retaliation if the matter was not attended to.
“ we are 4,000 against few Land Investors, we cannot accept to be treated like this as if we are still in the colonial era”, said Mr Bemba.
And Mkushi District Commissioner Luka Mwamba condemned the action by the land investors saying it was inhuman to burn other people’s property and fire gun shots to intimidate them.
Mr. Mwamba said that it was saddening to learn that the alleged perpetrators of were fellow Zambians, adding that he would pursue the matter with higher authorities.
He said that he had brought on board the interventions of the Permanent Secretary for Central Province as well as the Office of the Vice President.
He assured Ntekete residents that government would not take the matter lightly saying that the land investors had erred by resorting to burning houses and opening teargas on the villagers.
Mr. Mwamba said that although no one was shot or injured in the incident, the investors should dialogue to solve issues and not force.
He expressed solidarity and sympathy for the affected families adding that he was hopeful that the matter would attract intervention from President Michael Sata.
“The tactics used to forcefully evict these residents is very un-Zambian and cannot be tolerated”, he said.
indeed the country has gone to the dogs…
Sata and his PF are solely to blame for this rampant land grab from villagers. PF has no clear Land policy for the poor villagers who have inhabited these areas for a long time.
Is it a pretext Sata is using to re-grab back land and give it back to the villagers the Mugabe way to increase his political fortunes when they dwindle? If not then why allow these PF investors displace inhabitants of the land being sold out?
PF minions are the main culprits in land grabbing from the poor.
the real truth is the ones to blame are people like your beloved HH that continue to support and invest millions of dollars in exploitative agribusinesses like Zambeef
The “Investors” are coming with guns too, are they the ones suppliyig to the PF Cadres and ka Masumba?
Where is Libongani in all these terror on villagers?
WARNING: This land is not for sale. trespassers will be shot…..survivors will b shot- AGAIN !!!!!
Sable farms, Dar farms, Zambeef, Zambia sugar, Amatheon, Chimsoro and these other farmers in Mkushi and elsewhere all these so called investors (whether they are Zambians or foreigners) are just parasites…nationalise their assets simple..run those farms as state farms do as suggested in one of the key notes of the President’s speech at the opening of Parley regarding the industrial development corporation. If nationalisation is off then at least partial nationalisation, say 40 percent of all farms should belong to the government under the industrial development corp which should see to it all activities of these farms are in the interest of Zambians. I mean they are not benefiting Zambians and are just displacing our poor rural dwellers who already have a hard life as it is.
Commercial farms that is…40% of all commercial farming business should belong to the state under the industrial development corporation.
What you are suggesting is spitting into a cup and swallowing it again. The council, ministry of lands, police and ACC should be investigating this as criminal damage, if anyone was injured as premeditated GBH and trespassing among others. The shells from the guns should be found. The people of Mkushi should film this and write down all details. Mkushi has gems…lets not beat about the bush here.