The Bwile Royal Establishment under Senior Chief Puta in Chienge District has disclosed plans to go to court over the matter surrounding the demarcation of the Zambia/Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Border along the Region.
The Traditional Leadership complained that over 32 villages including two schools namely Musangu and Lambe are under the DRC following the re-demarcation of the border line.
ZANIS Reports that this was disclosed during a Meeting called by Senior Chief PUTA at his Palace to discuss the ongoing demarcation of the border along the two nations.
Senior Chief PUTA, who was visibly upset wondered why the Ministry of Land is rushing to complete the demarcation despite several concerns raised by his Chiefdom.
He said there is need to immediately halt the exercise so that all the concerns raised can be remedied, to avoid future problems
“When you are talking about Land, you are talking about people’s livelihoods and these are very sensitive issues. My subjects are disoriented and very annoyed with what has happened to them because there are in a situation where they were Zambians but now, they have been turned into Congolese,” Senior Chief Puta said.
Senior Chief Puta further expressed sadness with the lies being told purporting that President Hakainde Hichilema has connived and sold the land in question to the DRC.
And speaking earlier, Sub chief of Natende Walushiba, Katele Kalumba, accused some officials in the Patriotic Front (PF) working with other technocrats in the Civil Service of being behind a scheme to give away mineral rich areas to corporate entities which have interests in parts of the land in Chienge District.
“What has now come out is that a Corporate Entity released 4 million U.S Dollars in order for the exercise to be carried out, what is its interest, because we know that both the Zambian and the DRC governments did not release any funds,” Dr Katele Kalumba wondered.
Dr Kalumba said the Bwile People are aware that the land under contention is the area along the Lunchinda and Mpweto enclave areas where the Ministry of Lands has been demarcating.
He revealed that the Bwile Chiefdom has access to the history of the border lines for both countries, adding that the Chiefdom is privy to the various Treaties.
Dr Kalumba also questioned the legal backing of the demarcation exercise on grounds that if there has been new treaty between the two countries over the border line, it should have passed through Parliament to be ratified, but that such as not been done.
He described the border wrangles as failure by the Surveyor General’s Office to show leadership and to consult key Stakeholders over the matter.
The Traditional Leader also called for the need to halt the re-demarcation exercise until consultation with Traditional Leaders from both the DRC and Zambia who know the Boundaries better.
And making a Submission on behalf the Civil Service, Acting District Commissioner Abraham Kachipansi assured the traditional Leaders that his Office has conducted on the spot checks on the demarcation exercise and reports have been submitted.
Kalumba the chameleon. Anyway this border issue is very delicate. I wouldn’t want to be one to handle it.
This issue must be handled with a lot of caution before the two nations go for neck to neck.
Just threaten them with bombs atase, why is the DRC so greedy…look at the size of them and they still want to move further in our country. We need to talk tough with these people. If it were up to me, I would take back that ka strip which makes us cross a foreign border only to get to the other side of our country. This is madness. we need to renegotiate that territory or else fight for it. KK never tolerated this nonsense.
Katele Kalumba is actually former minister of foreign affairs and therefore no ordinary citizen. He knows exactly how this matter should and must be handled with government. I hope he has already written to President HH already apart from making his views known in the media. Colonial boundary making was chaotic as it separated whole villages belonging to the same people and leadership into different countries. If some people whose villages hv now found themselves into Congo and not Zambia as they had always known and been, they should be given the right to choose which country to be part of.
Bring back our relatives please.
PF was a criminal organisation with no care for the future especially that we had the Mukula Queen herself Jean Kapata in that ministry…after she finished with Mukula she went for land I am sure she have herself largr chunks of land all over the country. These petty criminals would give away a mineral rich land to DRC just for a few million dollars. Please New Dawn govt halt everything that was going on in that ministry and all ministries as you still have PF cadres in those departments.
“My subjects are disoriented and very annoyed with what has happened to them because there are in a situation where they were Zambians but now, they have been turned into Congolese” Very strange,,, town planners and surveyors are crooks…
It was on this forum that I warned Jean Kapata when she wanted to rush the Land Policy. The boundary dispute between Zambia and DRC can’t be resolved without dealing with the treaties between the Belgian and the British. In fact Zambia should use this opportunity to reclaim the Pedicle because the Belgian were in breach of the agreement. We can’t lose trillions of dollars in resources because we’ve been ruled by criminals.
Ayatollah @7 u’re talking sense, man. I like sense. I think the boundary treaty btwn Belgium and the UK should be made public. We’re dealing with human beings here. But has Katele Kalumba engaged the Zambian government in a formal way?
Ayatollah – There are too many issues that need to brought to the public I dont see why there should secrecy …take for example the price of the Presidential Gulfstream what is the point of not telling the taxpayers the actual price it was bought for when the president saw all the papers.
Nemwine – Katele Kalumba is the last name you should be mentioning infact he is an ex-convict …just two months ago his name was popping up with KZ in Chipata on a rigging scheme.
comment is awaiting moderation…for what???
All mukula and other timber coming/cut in Luapula get clearance papers from DRC. Drink with those truck drivers they will tell it all.
I am from Luapula, I heard from a bar that demarcation is about timber and minerals. Like Katele is saying, PF have sold timber and people to international traders who compromised the DRC government.
How come? Is the Luapula river not a border? Has the river been moved?
The pedicle should be absorbed into Zambia. As it stands, it is a toe in no mans land.
Who is selling our peaceful citizens to war-torn Zaire? HH? If it comes to negotiations ask them to give us that pedicle for two villages. They will agree because the place has no known minerals.
@Tarino Orange, it’s not all government business that is in the public domain. Defense Forces don’t deal with the public, there are even areas where the Auditor General can’t be allowed. The Gulf Stream is a property of ZAF, therefore it’s a classified asset. Now Bally has seen the reality he can’t comment like he were in same WhatsApp group as Sean Tembo. That’s why he seems like he has changed his position. National Boundaries are not a secret. But there’s a history to these boundaries. It’s not in secrecy that the British gave away large tracts of land to the Belgian in exchange for other but that Belgian never gave up land as agreed. It’ll be treason for anybody to let go of that land
Involving the colonizers won’t help. How do you go back to the slave master and ask him which leg he shackled and which one his brother shackled? Just free yourself and determine what makes you move forward. So sit down with Congo and agree on what works going forward.