Governing Political Party officials have continued to grab land illegally denying ordinary people access to affordable land and housing which is affecting integrated planning to meet present and future needs for land, housing and infrastructure in Zambia.
Zambia like many other countries has committed to the Habitat III agenda on urbanization and Development but with the current trend, 20 years from now the commitment may not be attained should planning authorities allow governing party officials to take the role of planning cities.
The Zambia has two tenures of land systems being customary and state, according to the land audit conducted in 1974, 6% of land was under state while 94% still under customary, and that is land administered by traditional leasers.
Zambia has three land deliveries systems which is Customary, Public institutions (Local Authorities, Ministry of Lands, and Ministry of Agriculture) and private formal systems.
[pullquote]Governing political party officials must allow professionals to plan for better cities[/pullquote]
Access to land has become a commodity in Zambia making it inaccessible to the vulnerable.
Elected Civic Leaders have several times been caught up in illegal land allocations especially those coming from the governing political parties.
Some of those interacted with reveal why they engage in illegal land activities that have led to an increase in informal settlements in the country.
“We are elected officers but our work is more of volunteerism because we are not entitled to salary, we are not entitled to gratuity even after serving for five years, but how do we survive? We only get allowances of $70 USD in a month where do you take such an amount? One of the civic leaders asked.
“Our supporters are not empowered and giving them land is the only way of empowering them, and such is deemed illegal. Our work is not appreciated and this forces some of us to engage in such activities because not everyone among us has a permanent job”
In January, 2016 The Ministry of Local Government suspended three major Councils in Zambia to pave way for investigations in illegal land allocations.
The suspended Councils were Ndola City Council, Livingstone City Council and Kitwe City Council.
And Land Activist Archie Mulunda is worried that Zambia’s Developmental Agenda is under threat due to poor land administration in the country.
He said Zambia has seen an increase in the number of informal settlements that have come as a result of poor planning from the local authorities and giving room to governing party official to allocate themselves pieces of land.
“Governing political party officials must allow professionals to plan for better cities, remember Zambia has agreed in the Habitat III agenda and among other things is to make cities better places to live in, so nations are looking at Zambia, but what will this country report after participating in Quito Eduardo were they agreed to urbanization and Development” Mr. Mulunda said.
He has challenged governments to take responsibility and correct the current situation if the nation is to attain the agreed commitments.
“He said Zambia is experiencing serious problems in land delivery channels and this has resulted in the over 1.3 million shortages of habitable houses, 80 percent of Zambia’s settlements are informal that have no proper services despite them being prime land”
Meanwhile, local Government Minister Vincent Mwale said it is unfortunate to note that the country has experienced a lot of illegal developments which is as result of poor enforcement of the existing laws.
He said it was sad that people masquerading as governing party officials have engaged in illegal allocations of plots even on planned land and those tasked with the responsibility are often intimidated when confronted by the law breakers.
“The Ministry will ensure that no one will use their political influence to distort well developed plans in the name of being a supporter of this or that political party. It is unfortunate to note that the country has experienced a lot of illegal land developments as a result of poor enforcement of existing law” Mr. Mwale said.
Lusakatimes, you are becoming shameless liars.why telling lies that matero library has been turned into a house.the library still operates as a library.those who care to know the truth can visit the place, you will me and others studying.
Thanks for shaming the these uncultured I.D.I.O.T.S they think by lying to the messes they are making a name Foolish I.D.I.O.T.S
That’s Zambian press for you! Both private and government controlled media are guilty of alarmist mentality.
I remember going to read old newspapers from Mutendere Library in the early 90’s.
It’s a shame since beginning of time Zambia with small population seems to lack developmental land against backdrop of vast pristine land tracts countrywide.
All Presidents hav kam without extending the “shanty” dwellings called towns 2other Provinces. Only LPM besides many reasons tried 2open Solwezi & Mazabuka(Munali Nickle) as way of decongesting “towns”. We hav created artificial shortage of land by not opening up new ‘towns’ thereby enriching simple Council Officials.
Why shud we really fail to hav wide roads when land is abundant? Why allow people build 1m from road like new Kitwe offices opposite Z-Mart? US & UK hav wider roads with larger populations. Building new towns is not only about mining. Nevada has no mines but casinos. Malawi has no mines but fish & tea yet…
Nevada has no mines but casinos. Malawi has no mines but fish & tea yet hav ‘Towns’. So if we diversified & opened up other areas these illegal allocations wud be a non-issue cos land is abundant countrywide.
Its this stu.pid mentality of wanting 2b known as “bamukalale” yet one is jobless, starving & just a thief or sl.ut. When others live in other places & earning a living thru agric they say “bakamushi”, “Ngombe Ilede”. When retrenched by Mopani same chaps want 2go pastoral farming. When copper is exhausted u’ll cry.
This mining was brought & still managed by whites. Why boast as mine experts yet when retrenched u become useless instead of starting yo own mines? No zambian is master in my mining!
No Zambian is master in mining! We are all dependent on mostly Whites to open new mines or take over old ones for us to be employed. So next time mind yo boastful language when all u do is illegal mining “pa chilupili black mountain”.
If ur mining masters why didn’t u succeed in running ZCCM, better still why didn’t u take over? Mopani & KCM are ever threatening to pull out let’s see how u’ll rescue fellow Zambians by successfully running the mines since ur “bamukalale”!
But under Mwanawasa the Kalulushi mayor grabbed land for play parts, market and churches and built a mansion on it. What have you got to say to this. Just admit that all administrations have contributed to this nonsense. Like I have always said, the colonial control of rural urban migration should not have been scrapped but only modified so as not to infringe on freedom of movement. Instead of condemning each one of us must play a part to help stop this rot.
@Ndanje khakis
I never said under there was no wrong land dealings under LPM. I quote myself:
“All Presidents hav kam without extending the ‘shanty’ dwellings called towns 2other Provinces. Only LPM besides many reasons tried 2open Solwezi & Mazabuka(Munali Nickle) as way of decongesting ‘towns'”
“All Presidents” includes LPM except I said he at least tried to change things.
If u missed my point due2 my lexical semantics consult yo dictionary or if due2 my logical semantics consult person next2 u. Otherwise no ‘big grammar’ used here!
Neutral, no offense meant to emphasize that all administrations are guilty and Levy was no angel.
@Ndanje khakis
Point taken!
I appreciate your maturity & etiquette!
I appeal to President Edgar Lungu to consider a majority of people who are a victim of illegal land allocation not to punish them by demolishing their hard earned housing units but instead allocating them with alternative land. A majority of people are suffering in Zambia but they work so hard and full of sacrifices in order to build the so called illegal structures. In Zambia today no ordinary Zambian can afford to get legal land its a mockery to edge citizens to follow the right channel in obtaining land when its impossible. Please Mr President consider illegal land owners that’s why some of us voted you in power and we want you to continue beyond 2021
Zambia is generally a country of illegalities everywhere. Illegal extensions to buildings, illegal land allocations, illegal street vending, illegal compounds nothing is straight in Zambia illegal market and bus station levies and Government is busy cheering on.
@Bajona, I really feel for you. But the truth is, you voted for this guy. It’s no exaggeration that Lungu is incompetent as a leader, and all this land ordeal is part of the evidence of that. He has no modern understanding of how things should be done. He has been in power for almost 2 years now, and by now a lot of this mess should have been straightened out if he was competent enough and knew what he was doing. His ministers too, don’t seem to have a clue. That’s why this mess will continue. No one is providing any guidance with regard to land allocation in Zambia. It’s not only people within Zambia who are frustrated with land allocation, it includes Zambians outside the country. It’s hard to buy land in Zambia when you’re abroad, and many Zambians end up falling prey to…
(Continued)… scammers. This land issue should be treated as a crisis. The minister of land, Lungu himself, and other stake holders need to come together and straighten out this problem. Otherwise, 20 or 30 years from now, Zambia will be one big ugly ghetto, in addition to a big chunk of the land being owned by foreigners, who are obtaining land corruptly.
It’s very true in the last 5 years under pf government there has been a lot of illegal land allocation. For example the council have allocated and both the ministry of lands and local government ministry have approved plots allocated 5 meters from the grave at Chamboli commentary in Kitwe. This is what I call criminal
Comment:i wish government should look at issues like land found in the hands of foreigners if a zambian found selling lands to investors then he must be jailed land belongs to zambians only please please if foreigners want land let them rent it from zambians lolekeshenipo its land that forms a nation remember,