Eighteen Structures have been demolished in Namalombwe ward of Chilanga district in Lusaka Province, following a court order given to ZAMASTONE mining company Limited to take possession of its land encroached by squatters.
Some of the affected structures were on window level with three completed and only one was spared because the caretaker had requested for a day in which to remove his possessions.
In a telephone interview, ZAMASTONE mining company limited, Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer Chimuka Hamachila, explained that some time back cadres from a named party sold the land in question without the consent of the company.
Mr Hamachila said in 2022 the company won the court case in which it sued over thirty squatters on its property and a court order was issued for the squatters to vacate the area.
He said the company tried to offer an amicable solution by giving the squatters an alternative piece of land at a discounted price for them to shift and build their structures but none showed any interest.
Mr Hamachila said, the company earlier this year engaged the sheriff’s department and followed all procedures and even issued notices for the squatters to vacate the piece of land in question as the company wants to start mining activities on the piece of land”.
Area Councilor Bright Sinazongwe confirmed the development saying 18 structures were demolished and that only three houses were occupied and the rest were incomplete buildings.
Mr Sinazongwe advised citizens that want to buy land to ensure that they follow the proper procedures.
He confirmed that the company issued vacation notices but the majority of owners of the illegal structures live in other areas such Ng’ombe township, State Lodge in Lusaka and Kafue among others.
“This system that used to be there of people going into private properties and beating up people to get their property and sale to unsuspecting victims is long gone as the new dawn government wants to see the rule of law applied in land acquisition,’’ explained Mr Sinazongwe.
This is an area I know very well. I have known it before any human was allowed by the UNIP government. No mining should actually be allowed in Namalombwe area in a normal country. Sinazongwe doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
This has been a private property but your fellow PF cadres attacked the owners and forcibly demarcated land and sold to the squatters. This should serve as a lesson to people who do not follow the law. They actually don’t deserve any sympathy.
What do you know about the Namalombwe area? That used to be a protected forest until the late 1970s when the UNIP government parcelled out the land. It was part of the water recharge zone of the Chuunga river. The river is no longer a perenial source of water now due to the UNIP government’s mistake.
Anybody who is a squatter on other people’s property must not only have the structure demolished but also be jailed for trespassing.
Razor: you are right.
For this country to develop Parliament must pass a law that anybody building on land that is not his or hers shall have his or her property demolished and prosecuted and sentenced to 2 years minimum in jail with hard labor. A period of 2years can be given to all illegally occupying land to leave or regularize after which action must be taken. Government should constitute a fast truck court to address this menace. People buy land legally, squatters move in, and courts take upto a decade to decide who owns the land even when squatters have no papers and owners have title deeds! How can you move forward as a country like that?