To the Editor- Lusaka Times
RE: REPLY to your Edition entitled Ndola Businessman to demolish a Community School built on his land
Your story which appeared in your online media entitled as above on 27th May 2019, is misleadingly erroneous.Click here for story The issue of land in issue has been going on for years because of squatters who settled on the land belonging to other Zambians.
The facts are that the land belongs to inter-Africa Petroleum Limited a Zambian company wholly owned by Zambians. There is no foreigner or foreign investor involved. You will do well for yourselves and readers if you verified the information at PACRA office to check shareholders and directors. Further, There are less than 20 people of one family, who illegally went to build structures of the said land. The land is on Title Deeds and the same was obtained way before the squatters illegally settled on it. These people said that they were only settling on the land temporarily as they would look for alternative land. Eventually these people refused to move out as the company wanted to develop the area for purposes of business. These people even sued the company and lost and obviously the outcome of the court must be respected.
Upon losing the matter the illegal squatters have resorted to seeking sympathy by politicising the matter which is very clear. The MP in his bid to win votes to enhance his popularity has also ignorantly been issuing statements which are false and misleading.
The government has since given alternative land to the 20 squatters or illegal settlers in Kaloko but they have refused to do so. The people involved are mostly illegal fuel dealers commonly known as “Changanya traders”. They find the place suitable to conduct their illegal business hence their failure to vacate the land and the receive encouragement and confidence from the MP Hon. Jonas Chanda.
In a bid to further sensitise and politicise the issue the MP and the 20 people involved are saying that the people to be evicted are 5,000 when in fact its only 20 people. To further sensentionalise the issue the MP is now talking about a community school being demoslished which is a total fabrication. In fact our Company supports and promotes education particularly for the under privileged. We emphasise that there is no school whatsoever at verge of being demolished.
Further, we must state that it is both contemptuous for the MP Hon. Jonas Chanda to issue statements against Court Orders or meant to derail the decision of the courts. As MP he is a law maker who should be the first person to properly understand the role of the courts and the need thereof to respect Court decisions.
It is therefore, our appeal both to you as a media and the MP to desist from issuing misleading and unguarded statements lest you be cited for contempt of court which is a criminal offence which would lead to imprisonment.
Mambo Tembo
Director – Legal & Corporate Affairs
Inter-Africa Petroleum
Cc Hon. Jonas Chanda MP
Bwana Mkubwa Constituency
Is Inter-Africa Petroleum not owned by Zambians of somali origins ???
What an angry reply. I can only imagine how the squatters are treated if this Mambo Tembo can use such a tone to “clarify” the issue!
There is no smoke without fire – Leave the Zambians with at least the little dignity of owning a piece of land alone! You have sold almost everything to foreign entities. What sort of GRZ is this which does no care about its own people?
Shame on you ECL and shame on you all thieving individuals.
God bless Zambia.
Before some of you especially ba upnd start insulting on innocent people, verify whether the land in question belongs to company or not. Void issuing insults unnecessary we all know you’re not happy that you’re not government but please law is law and it must be respected. If the school was built on the land , it should be demolished, I would do the same if someone entered my private land. Be balanced in your thinking. Everything ni lungu. Awe. We know lungu is not doing the best but be fair.
Grabbing of land by illegal squatters is now a common and seemingly acceptable practice in certain parts of the country. I cry for my neighbor whose farm has been effectively grabbed by sponsored squatters. They came with the sweet talk of temporarily looking after the land whilst he was abroad earning capital to develop the farm. Against friendly advice, he agreed to have them because bululus just chewed the bucks he was sending to maintain the few structures he built before leaving, sending him fake pictures of progress on the farm. The poor guy is now fighting the settlers alone. Only when you become a victim will you appreciate why law should be adhered to, always, even when non-Zambians are the complainants.
If there is a court order it should be respected. If these Zambians are blue, black, white, yellow, Somali-Zambian or Chainama-Zambian – they are ZAMBIAN. Let the owners of the land appropriate it as required. When you are a landowner you know how difficult it is to acquire land and how very difficult it is to maintain it. Please, bloggers – let’s elevate our blogging just a little bit.
Correct….
You As a Zambian try to go to the countries where blue, black, white, yellow, Somali or Chainama come from and try to evict indigenous people from the land and see how your black monkey as.s will be lynched and deported
@Spaka. I think you are misunderstanding me. In the UK Sidiq Khan is Mayor of London, no? Did you see the attacks he endured? But was he stopped from becoming Mayor!? No sir – he is BRITISH!!! I cannot go to a country as a foreigner and start hustling the owners of the land. BUT IF I AM A GODAMN CITIZEN OF THAT DARN COUNTRY I HAVE THE RIGHTS ANY COLOR THERE HAS!!!!!! Kapisch!!?? Prove that the Somali-Zambian IS NOT Zambian. Go ahead!
3.3 Kalok, very good…you Sir is the One. Don’t waste your keyboard prowess on narrow minded too dull to comprehend anything dimwits.
How do the poor disenfranchised get any land when most land has been sold of to foreigners ???
There is enough land for every Zambian but poorer Zambians need land near towns for employment reasons.
Alshabab is using Zambians to clean up money from pirates.
Zambians are just fronts
…and you do not want to support the FIC
Zambia is the worst country where foreigners run rough shod over locals and where the wealth of the country is in the hands of foreigners ……while the people meant to be protecting locals the GRZ are too busy stealing and being bribed by foreigners to care about the majority poor.
They try to dupe the masses with empty hospitals and none functioning universities while the real wealth, the land , is being shared among the stealing GRZ and foreigners
Bro don’t blame the foreigners. Are the foreigners buying land and property from ministry of lands or from Zambian owners? Most of the times its not government but us zambians who sell there houses, land and property. Than we want to complain that foreigners are taking over. Look at most of the shops in the compound. Who owns them? Zambians of course, but we have failed to run them and this is the reason Rwandese are running this shops and are paying rent to zambians. Now you want to blame the Rwandese for this.
A
Are they no laws restricting foreigners from owning land in Zambia ???
There in lies the problem. Any Jim, jack and Chang can come with $50 k and buy land.
Spaka it’s a Catch 22 situation. If government stops you from selling your property to a foreigner, you cry that there’s no freedom of choice. When I say YOU it’s not you I’m referring to. I’m referring to the general Zambian.
There is no law restricting selling (we call it leasing by the way) of land to anyone for a period of 99 years. This is standard practice. That is why properties are being snapped up all over the world by people who do not live there. In the absence of actually reading the law and knowing the facts we pander to populism and total xenophobic diatribe. Let’s elevate our standard of debate. It is not so difficult.
kalok, ndanji
When you say
“That is why properties are being snapped up all over the world by people who do not live there. ”
You are probably referring to western countries including the UK , but what you fail to see is that in those countries like the UK , the poor have councils to fall back on if they are stuck, the poor can get council housing and buy that house , can the poor in Zambia fall back on councils for housing ????
The answer is no. The poor are left defenceless and with nothing.
This is what breeds xenophobic wars. Not people like me insisting GRZ protect Zambias land from frorigners.
What will our children find tomorrow ?
Ndanji
I am not disparaging court rulings is any way , but GRZ needs to protect Zambia’s land from being bought by foreigners ……if a foreign come with $50 k to buy land in Zambia , expect them to externalise $ 150k they make Awith work Zambians should be doing.
@spaka. So let’s discuss the future. At the moment you assaulting a very innocent reality that allows players to do what they are doing within the laws they have understood and are using to their advantage, selfish or otherwise. So let’s propose that we change the law so squatters are protected. Let’s propose that we change the law so that the non-indigenous (good luck) are not allowed to participate in the space they find themselves. And so on and so forth. Don’t get stressed with the reality. Let’s begin to lobby to change the future and plan for the new consequences
Kalok
Yes I think the law thst allows foringners to buy land anyhow in Zambia should be changed pronto……..and in the case of squatters , each case should be looked at carefully and more land reserved for low cost housing , which the majority of our people can only afford. Not every poor person can be a farmer , so low cost housing should be secured near cities where employment can be sought.
Zambia has the most liberal laws allowing forigne ownership of land in the world.
With a corrupt immigration department, it is free for all in Zambia. In countries like India , Pakistan , Bangladesh and China where it’s dog eats dog every competitive , their citizens pour into Zambia to find rich pickings among a small population and an open system.
Those people come from very…
Those people come from very competitive societies and Zambians stand no chance if put in the same setting.
Botswana has the right attitude in protecting their land and their people from unnecessary stress from forinegn competition.
FAKE NEWS!
Lusakatimes do some investigative journalism.
Go there, talk to squatters, take pics of the said plot instead of relying on hearsay.
It will be interesting to hear what Hon MP has to say about this. The director of corporate & legal affairs at Inter Africa petroleum has presented indisputable facts.
Let’s have Hon Jonas Chanda respond on this same forum.
Ba LT we are hearing that Kulima House is on fire. Why arent you giving us that very latest news?
Where are Mrs Lungu’s American fire tenders?
This MP is a problem. Few months ago he was on the case of Goldlay farm which like this case was already determined by courts of law. Similarly numbers of ‘displaced ‘ was ridiculously inflated. He is such a disappoint to the constituency.