Lands Minister Jean Kapata has ordered UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to allow other villagers in Namwala access to his close to 1,600 hectares of land in Namwala District of Southern Province.
Addressing a media briefing today, Ms. Kapata ordered that the fence on the subject land should be removed to allow the community access to the land for animal grazing.
She said Government will not allow the displacement of citizens in their own country. Ms. Kapata said investigations by technocrats at the Ministry have found that the land was allocated to Mr. Hichilema by Headman Moola in 2013.
She said it was also found that some of the community members were displaced as a result of fencing of the land and that the fencing of land has deprived the households of grazing land for their animals.
Ms. Kapata said headman Moola erred in allocating land to Mr Hichilema in extent of 1, 581 hectares, therefore, the local authority resolved to write to Mr. Hakainde Hichilema on the matter.
Below is Ms. Kapata full statement
GOOD MORNING MEMBERS OF THE PRESS
I welcome you to this Press Briefing. I would like, through you Members of the Press, to update the nation on the much publicised allocation of 1,581 hectares of land in Ngabo, Namwala District of Southern Province.
There have been reports circulating in the media over the displacement of 600 households in Mukobela Chiefdom, Namwala District as a result of the fencing of 1,581 hectares of land.
The land in question starts from Ngabo area; Chief Mukobela’s Chiefdom and ends in Chief Muchila’s Chiefdom.
According to the lands act of 1995, Zambia has a dual land tenure system. The two systems are customary and leasehold tenure.
“The right and privilege of any person to hold land under customary tenure is recognised and any such holding under the customary law applicable to the area in which a person has settled or intends to settle cannot be construed as an infringement of any provision of the Lands Act or any other law except for a right obligation which may arise under any other law”
Therefore, the Mukobela Chiefs Council passed the following resolutions:
1. Mr Hakainde Hichilema open a corridor of 20 meters wide for the community to easily move the river and the corridor should be open without gates to avoid conflict.
2. Mr Hakainde Hichilema should leave a big portion of land in the western part of the island for the community to use for grazing their animals.
3. The Southern part of the higher land should be reserved for future development.
4. Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s claim was upheld as it was supported by headman Moola who is the custodian of the land in dispute.
However, the resolutions of the Mukobela Chiefs Council have not been implemented hence the public outcry.
As Minister in Charge of Lands and Natural Resources, I have requested technocrats and the Local Authority to investigate the matter.
It has come to my attention that a number of meetings have been held to discuss the land dispute and several recommendations have been made by the local authority.
Among the findings of the meetings was that:
1. The land in extent of 1,581 hectares was allocated to Mr. Hakainde Hichilema by Headman Moola in 2013.
2. It was also found that some of the community members were displaced as a result of fencing of the land.
3. The fencing of land has deprived the households of grazing land for their animals.
4. Allocation was done without taking into consideration the interests of the settlers.
In view of the above, the meetings held by the local authority resolved as follows:
1. That the headman erred in allocating land to Mr. Hakainde Hichilema in extent of 1, 581 hectares, therefore, the local authority resolved to write to Mr. Hakainde Hichilema on the matter.
2. The fencing should be stopped and whoever would be found working on the piece of land should be arrested.
3. Headman Moola and Headman Musholwa should inform Mr. Hakainde Hichilema that the land had been given back to the community.
Government would like to appeal to the traditional leadership to consider the interest of the community before allocation of land to developers. This would ensure that the settlers are not disadvantaged in any way.
I therefore, want to uphold the resolutions that were made by the Mukobela Chiefs Council, District and Provincial administration during the various meetings.
The fence on the subject land should be removed to allow the community access to the land for animal grazing.
Government will not allow the displacement of citizens in their own country.
I thank you
So it’s okey to displace Zambians when the Chinese ,British,Australians or South Africans want land but God forbid a Zambian buys land for commercial purposes…The govt will do all to frustrate such a person.
Its political and the foreigners are also hassled except for the Chinese whole fill lots of brown envelopes for Kapata.
i dont know which side to take….HH or poor villagers in namwala
I just found out yesterday that the only qualification Jean Kapata has is Registered Nurse…she fits well in Lungu’s cabinet with like likes of Kaizer Zulu,Kampyongo,Chomba,siliya
Ok very interesting so this means even govt officials that are owning land in excess of 250 hectares-their land can be occupied by squatters? Very good I’m sending my relatives from Samfya to settle in Jean Kapata’s farm tomorrow.
Those in govt should if they really care about the rural community concentrate rather on improving the price of maize for the poor farmers of Southern Province who have been hit the hardest by low prices, crooked middle men buyers and greedy millers. The poor farmers have been robbed in broad daylight and yet the govt is doing nothing!
Disrespecting property ownership is the quickest way of damaging an economy
It’s Jean involved. This won’t go well. HH just open fence so your “foreign” cows can cross breed with locals.
Open it up! Let the cows roam
I wonder what will be come of Zambia when HH becomes president. He is going to fence the whole country for his cows be grazing in.
She is actually a mortuary nurse who is well schooled in beautification corpses
First of all, you people blaming the Minister here need to learn to read: NOWHERE HERE DOES IT SAY HAKAINDE BOUGHT THIS LAND. NOR DOES IT SAY EITHER OF THE TWO CHIEFS IN WHOS CHIEFDOMS THIS LAND EXTENDS GAVE OR SOLD THIS LAND TO HIM.
The land was allocated to HH by one ROGUE HEADMAN, a Mr. MOOLA. And this was done without any imput from other community members, let alone the Chiefs. And talk about BROWN ENVELOPES….if anybody got their hands oiled by HH here it is more than likely it was Moola.
By the way, does the headman even have the authority/powers under the Law to allocate that much Land to one individual and across CHIEFDOMS? Well, unless these Southern Chiefs decided to ceed their “GOD” GIVEN AUTHORITY to commoners like headmen in their chiefdoms….which I highly doubt…
Continue….
is the case. I may be wrong, but not even chiefs themselves are allowed to allocate that amount of Land to an individual WITHOUT TITTLE….even then, there are still restrictions and limitations. I am guessing, this is to prevent creating FEUDAL SOCIETY….where Land is owned by a few preveraged individuals and the rest play servant/renters to them (the kind Britain and India once had.)
If Hichilema needs such large tracks of land to do his cattle ranching, why doesn’t he just buy Land in established Farming Blocks set up by Govt for that purpose? He is a RICH man so we are told, right? Why GRAB LAND from poor peasant villagers who just want to survive on the land they have lived on probably for centuries? And these are his so called STROGHOLD CONSTITUENTS, yes?…
Continue….
Lambasting a Minister for intervening in an issue that squarely falls under her pervue and correct a wrong is simply myopic and stup!d. If foreigners are doing the same wrong stuff, that should not justify WRONGS committed by LOACALS like HH…..wrong is wrong and should be condemned and equally righted!
What is more important than that Namwala land is the ZAF land on Twin Palm road that has been given to “investors” to build luxury flats and more shopping centres. Please Minister, find out if due process was followed in that transaction.
Kapata, you are a very bitter jealous woman. If the chief gave HH land who are you to disagree. How about giving Zambians land you are giving Chinese Nationals?
Please mama give us a signal. Let us take note of all these clowns. Mulandu siuola
Why blame Kapata when it is the Mukobela Chiefs Council who passed resolutions to have HH
remove his fence so that settlers or villagers can freely have their animals graze there.As Minister of Lands her job is to implement these resolutions.
Nosense from the ugliest woman in Lusaka, only nkandu luo is more ugly than her
She is Mushota’s aunty Baba be careful!
Kkkkkk, what of the land that you nincompoops are selling to the choncholis? If you have nothing to do, better keep quite and wait for a signal. That land is his, if politics will stretch to personal entitlements, then we are losing the essence of it. Chagwa has accumulated millions of dollars in a short space of time, why are the anti corruption commission and police not following him to make such recommendations. What about the mukula that you have been selling all this long? What have you done about it? Prepare to go to court over this issue and arrest the headman who sold him the land, you are feeling his heat now?
Am no fan of HH but this minister is not following due process- you CANNOT order someone to have his property used by the public. 1st legally reverse the allocation then allow the settlers in.
In Zambia you give access next you will have huts all over the place and you will the headache of evictions…what does the title deed state?
Zambian land is never a property of anyone. We all hold plots in Zambia on a lease. The property in the Land can never be transferred to anyone at any time. Ba UPND so dull and selfish they think they own southern province. HH must release the land, kwamana!!!
Yes exactly Jay Jay ,where’s the rule of law here by this minister?
You people please, don’t be WILLING !D1OTS!!!! Where in the story does it say Hakainde BOUGHT this land and has TITLE for it? Please read and understand what the article is saying before rushing to comment.
This is customery land which was dubiuosly and illegaly allocated to one HH by a misguided headman….not even by a Chief for that matter. That is why the two Chiefs, through the Chiefs’ counsel, are saying this land should not be fenced off, instead it should be given back by Hichilena. In fact, this is after Hichilena ignored the compromise (to open up a 20 Hector wide passage for local people) communicated to him earlier. So what LEGAL CLAIM does HH have to this land which you some of you people seem to assume here when the REAL LEGAL CUSTODIANS (The Chiefs) of such land…
Continue….
(Customery Land) are saying they did NOT audhorise what HH is doing? Or give him the said land to begin with? The two Chiefs want this land back for the COMMON USE of their subjects!
So, where are you getting the idea that HH acquired this land LEGALLY hence the right to KICK PEOPLE OFF and fence it?
PLEASE, NOT EVERYTHING THIS GOVT DOES TO PROTECT ITS “WEAK” CITIZENS FROM THE POWERFUL, BOTH DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN, IS WRONG. THIS SORT OF BLIND-LOYALTY TO AND ALMOST CULT-ISH SUPPORT FOR A “MORTAL MAN” (HH) IS NOT HEALTH AND VERY DANGEROUS!
Government will not allow the displacement of citizens in there own country.Maybe its because HH isn’t Chinese
Surely how can a minister be commenting on individual cases….is it because its their silly Hakainde!!
Did you even bother to find out if her Ministry (which is responsible for such issues) was contacted to help resolve the impass? Did you even notice that her Ministry sent it’s technocrats to go and take a look and find out exactly what is going on? And after that a report was handed to the Minister, hence her issuing the findings today. Who else do you want to update the Nation on matters that fall under her command?
Iwe read, there are over 600 villagers involved here not AN INDIVIDUAL Sammy aka double H.
It’ s now very clear that Zambia consists a lot of savages, daggar smokers and a lot more and this includes women like Jean Kapata. I think massive plunder of national resources in the PF government has made some people grow wings and they think they are half gods. Efyo caba ukukwata ubunonshi ubo tawabombelapo. Leave Hakainde Hichilema alone iwe kapuba kamwanakashi. Ala ukuteke ng’ombe tekute mpanya fintu wabelesha iwe kapuba. If HH was given that land, who is you to make baseless arguments on things that you do not know? It’ s people from Namwala who should raise a complaint, not you with your empty head.
Small brains discuss people and not issues. HH was selfish and Jean is just pointing out this. Please grow a brain ba UPND discuss the issue and not the Jean. So if my some misfortune you come to power you chaps will jus displace anyone in southern province so HH will have all.
The President has been allocated Land in Muchinga Province in Mpika area 4,000 hectares of land in total so and besides HH is a commercial farmer in cattle ranching. And the disadvantage of communal grazing is disease control. Right we have foot and mouth in Chibombo and Chisamba, and breeding stock are expensive animals to invest in.
So what’s your point here?
Governnment is right. HH for president?
Ba Siaziyo, I thought the complaints came from the locals themselves?
Hmmmm! Am failing to understand insunuations from the comments. The minister seeks to safeguard interests of the minority whose land was grabbed without due process. HH got land in excess of allowable threshhold of 1,581. The ministry is asking HH to give back 20 ha for the other villagers to have their animals graze. HH is seeking election for the highest office in the land, and am afraid, he’s not being above reproach, If people can measure him in same way as the Chinese.
Unfortunately we have people here who have decided too wear political lenses and will always look at things in that light! Mutulang’oma, you couldn’t have put any better!
The point here is who is allowed to displace citizens
According to the law administration of customary land, HH did not break the law. He negotiated for the said land with the custodian of the traditional land and he was given a go ahead. However, morally HH and the headman were not humanly enough to consider the plight of the people who will be affected by the economic decision. The govt has a right to intervene but they should look at the interest of both HH as the local investor and the affected villagers. In the above decisions outlined by the minister, the input from HH is missing and this is where the govt has missed it. Let them dialogue with all parties concerned to arrive at an amicable solution.
Mwakale, you summarize very well then lose it at the end.
Did you notice in the above article that resolution 1) of the local Authority was to WRITE to a Mr Hichilema aka double H?
See except below:
“In view of the above, the meetings held by the local authority resolved as follows:
1. That the headman erred in allocating land to Mr. Hakainde Hichilema in extent of 1, 581 hectares, therefore, the local authority resolved to write to Mr. Hakainde Hichilema on the matter.”
How about the NRDC students who will be displaced by the sell of their land to Avic, the Chinese company? When is the minister reversing this error of equal magnitude to HH’s one
Here we’re at least compensating by building them another Ultra modern scientific research centre and college in a bigger environment, I assume…
What about the land you are giving the Chinese? Aren’t you concerned about the citizens being displaced in those cases? Oh, right, I forgot HH is not paying you any bribes….
It is you the citizens selling the land to the Chinese not govt.
But people be fair to Kapata you’ll remember her.
So far she has put her foot down against illegal land allocations and human displacement.
Recently she
1. travelled to Ndola rural to confront a drunk chief who sold large chunks of land, 2. She also stopped the sale of an island somewhere in chilubi,
3. Stopped some land encroachment in Lusaka by PF cadres
4. stopped the illegal sale of Mukula
5. Why Shouldn’t she step in now just because of double H?
Eiiish.., this NURSE is tough mwe…! Viva Jean..!
Diverting issues of corruption, violence and focussing on HH”s properties can’t take you anywhere. You morons.
This is daylight robbery, there is no way I can go into a village and obtain land from a headman with no consideration for the settlers’ interests. Does it mean these headmen have no clue on how people have settled in their villages?
minister of presidential affairs told the nation that an island on lake tanganika in mpulungu has been sold to a non Zambian how fair please make followup on this one also
See comment at 14.1
Did this warrant a press briefing or meeting or indeed letters to HH. You call journalist just to make a request to release land. From Jean’s statement, the land being sought is not for occupation but animal grazing so no one has been displaced per say
Technically there animals have been displaced by losing their grazing land. That means the villagers must move elsewhere in search of grazing land.
Isn’t that displacement of the villagers in kind?
You mean HH is still at large stealing from the poor? So sad. This crook must be caged.
i think its govts/chiefs responsibility to ensure that the displaced villagers are allocated land elsewhere since this one was sold to a private citizen.
Where does it say HH bought this land????
Boza iwe!!!!!!
It was allocated (that is GIVEN), not SOLD. And how can you be given land where someone already lives or farms (including grazing)?
I will not support or condemn the order because I don’t care what happens to HH or displaced villagers. My observation is how many governments do we have ? I’m referring to the title of the story. …why not simply say government instead of PF government as if there’s Upnd, NDC, MMD governments in one country.
Why bother, these namwala people voted for their small god hh. They worship the ground that hh steps on, he is their president.
@ Ndanje kharki, my brother what you say is right. Can you think of @PROUDLY ZAMBIAN telling others at they voted for their small god hh. God will punish this Country just because of some of you who do not respect His creation. Please let us be polite to each other. HH is rich ilyo iwe uchulafye no lupato. Uyu HH mwapata mulemupalafye akulaenda bwino while yourself are having sleepless nights and suffering from BP. God will continue to fight for him. He was created by God.: HE will never leave him nor forsake him Hebrews 13: 6
They will still vote 4 him and i dnt knw what these pipo are upto…what is it that u want from your god who has no heart 4 u all he cares abt is money?
No one seems to have the clearest facts, even from the explanation – until then, lets not make assumptions. I do hope justice prevails the right way. But I wonder whether Kapata would have sang about this from the top of the mountain if it had involved someone else.
If it was a china man you would have been quit but for a Zambian you try to intervene shame on you,can the headman add more 3000 hectares please.
First go for your fellow ministers who have allocated themselves hundreds of hectors of land, once you are done with them you should then go for AVIC.
These same chinese you are allowing to take over Zambia will fuel xenophobic attacks if you are not cafefull.
Question is, when did this allocation happen and when did Min of Lands know about it? And what has happened to the Mukula case? Are we being consistent with application of the law or is this just a smoke screen? It will be interesting to see how the case unfolds as it provides candidate case study of land grabbing.
Five years down the road, this has just become an issue. Some people have had a very long sleep.
Read for yourself, the answer to your first question is in the article, ala…
I wonder what will be come of Zambia when HH becomes president. He is going to fence the whole country for his cows.
I have lost respect for jay jay, spaka and the lot who criticise for the sake of criticising. The Namwala issue was raised by the affected people themselves and not by Jean. The photos of the displaced villagers were there for all to see and then you have the likes of jay jay and spaka spewing nonsense against Jean. If it was anyone else other than hh, the same lot would be there condemning that person. Shame on you! Bravo Jean !
What does the title state..the former dull Nurse Kapata has no powers..you have to understand the easement rights here.
Iwe…….. stop smoking weed or dont blog when you are drunk from the tarven……where have you seen me commenting on this thread before now ??
Basopo photos can be front anywhere. Techlogy is so advanced these, don’t conclude anything on the basis of photos. Think man….
So it has started. Let them do a land audit. I know of a government official who has 10 000 hectares and 4,638 hectares bordering some major rivers in northern province. So madam kapata go there also.
There is no reason to have a government that breaks every law. The president has breached the constitution several times, private property ownership is now being tempered with. Guys lets take back our country from these crooks. We are responsible for the future of our country. Enough is really enough. Next time it might be you, take note.
Let the minister enroll for HD (Human Development) course to have a basic understanding of the relationship between property rights and economic development. Its okay for Garoon to have displaced Lenjes and Solis here in Lusaka and not okay for HH who is providing thousands of jobs to Zambians and earning you Forex through beef exports. The same Garoon is now busy exploiting us by exorbitantly pricing these small pieces of plots (Meanwood) and govt has no say
This is how they loose cases even in court. HH was given land by the chief and so the Local authorities/government should write to the chief who errored and not directly to HH. Is that hard to understand sure…Nurses!!!
Zazawaza, you’re the one showing lack of understanding and the NURSE you’re criticizing seems smarter. Here’s an except from the article for you:
3. Headman Moola and Headman Musholwa should inform Mr. Hakainde Hichilema that the land had been given back to the community.
How did the Animo Farm acquire all that land? Did it know it is illegal?
Paramount Chief Chronic HaLoser Hagain of the Namwala people! You now believe me?
APPLY THE LAW UNIFORMLY
Please let’s learn to read n understand wat the minister is said than insulting her..Consider those poor villagers who hv cattle but their land taken away by a corrupt headman.. A wrong ws committed by that headman and HH being a president in waiting participated in the wrong.. Try to hear a cry of the least in communities and help those in need..I don’t believe the minister is playing politics here bcoz I ve read well n understand that huge chunk of land ws taken away from rytful owners disregarding the land laws of our land..HH has ryt to acquire land lyk any citizen but by laws that govern the land.. God bless u all whilst debating this issue in a goodly way without insulting one another.. Be Zambian and a brother’s keeper..Jesus loves u all
DAT is just meant on fixing HH,its no wonder GBM has closed o his businesses in Zambia, only to open in other countries
Iwe GBM’s businesses depended on grz contracts, milling he supplied the military ,the police and other grz institutions which he can’t access now because he got the contracts corruptly and also change of policy the soldiers and the police are given money to buy own their now and he can’t get the contracts from FRA,what other business did he do in Zambia, can you point at any industry he had established, ati businessmen, these are just criminals.