Friday, March 29, 2024

No traditional leader has sold large pieces of land to foreign investors-Former House of Chiefs chairperson

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Former House of Chiefs chairperson, chief Kaputa had dispelled assertions that traditional leaders sold huge chunks of land to foreigners without government involvement.

Chief Kaputa said contrary to assertions by some sections of society that traditional leaders are fond of selling large pieces of land to foreign investors, no traditional leader has done that.

There has been complaints from Masaiti and Mwinilunga districts that traditional leaders have made it a habit to sell huge pieces of land to foreign investors at the expense of their subjects who end up being displaced.

The traditional leader said huge land investment requires government involvement.

He explained that chiefs’ mandate in terms of land allocation is limited to 250 hectares while the Ministry of Lands can allocate up to 1,000 hectares.

ZANIS reports that the chief wondered why some traditional leaders can be accused of selling huge pieces of land to foreign investors when their capacity to do so is limited to not more than 250 hectares.

“Honestly I do not know of any chief who has given large chunks of land to any foreigner. I say so because large land investment requires government participation,” chief Kaputa said.

The traditional leader added that government agencies are always involved when it comes to land allocation to foreign investors on projects of national interest adding.

He said supporting institutions such as local authorities are also consulted whenever the traditional leaders are dealing with matters of land.

“This then shows that no chief can give land without the involvement of other stakeholders,” he said.

5 COMMENTS

  1. I think Chiefs have out-leaved their usefulness. Don’t you think we can do better as country without Chiefs who logically are simply Lazy individuals who sit in their Seats of Throne waiting for Hand-outs from hardworking so called Subjects? I think we are past that stage. Today, it is hard to identify one single chief who can be identified as Wise. Most of them are selfish Land Dealers who have let the country down by selling our Precious Land to foreigner particularly Chinese. Many others are pure Cadres who dance to the dictates of Political Cadres. What is their use? Nothing.

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  2. “ No Traditional leaders has sold large pieces of land to foreign investors-Former House of Chiefs chairperson ”

    Yet it is common knowledge that this practice is indeed taking place on the ground. They are taking the land that is supposed to be owned by ordinary Zambians … Zambian people continue to suffer because the land is sold… In one instance, we were told that the local chief “sold land to develop for mining to a Chinese

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  3. Well, Chief Kaputa – if he has been correctly quoted -will go down in history as the Chairman who looked the other way. I can give you the names of a few dozen chiefs who have sold their peoples customary land. All an irresponsible chief has to do is to get the District Council to co-sign and the Commissioner of Lands to give it a rubber stamp – if there is any ink left on the pad ! Take the late Senior Chief Luembe for example. He sold two large areas of land -M’nyamadzi and Mbizi – and then after I had formed a trust for the benefit of his subjects into which he and his headmen had vested 4,500 ha of land – he had a change of mind and promptly sold it to a Petauke trader. And the land was to be the Kazumba game ranch – for the sole benefit of his people. And Kazumba had been ushered in…

  4. There are still wrangles at Kalumbila because of Chief Musele. Chief Liteta is another culprit. However, the truth is that indeed no Chief can sell such land without the involvement of government. It’s usually Ministers or other bigger persons that send land buyers with recommendations to the Chiefs. So Chiefs are used to facilitate the alienation of land. Recently HRH Chieftainess Mukamambo was antagonized by people in Govt when she resisted the take over of a large portion of her land using a deed obtained in 1947! People moved in quietly and fenced of the land without her knowledge.

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