Ministry of Lands to issue directive on land administration

The government has announced that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources will soon issue a directive to stop councils from allocating land.

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Elijah Muchima says the intended move is aimed at bringing sanity in the manner in which land is being administered across the country.

Mr Muchima said this today when he met councilors at the Livingstone City Council.

Mr Muchima Mayor, who also held a meeting with Livingstone Mayor, Constance Mukelebai, observed that most of the land problems to do with double allocations is as a result of both the council and the Ministry issuing same plots to would be developers without consulting each other.

“Ministry of Lands and councils must henceforth begin to interface in the allocation of Land if we are to restore order,” he said.

Mr Muchima said time has come for law and order to be restored in the management of land.

“The population is growing against limited land so, we must be careful how we manage it or else in 20 years to come we shall have a scramble for it,” he cautioned.

The Minister has also directed that no foreigner should be allocated land near security installations.

Mr Muchima further said any foreigner already allocated land near a security installation must be allocated land elsewhere as this compromises the security of the country.

“We need to protect our security colleagues, because once we lose it, we shall pay for the consequences in the near future,” he said.

Meanwhile, Livingstone Mayor, Constance Mukelabai informed the Minister that the local authority has issued a seven-day ultimatum to some developers who have put up buildings in undesignated places.

Ms. Mukelebai explained that most of the land problems are in the recently created wards.

She said government has increased wards in Livingstone Central Constituency from 17 to 27 stating that it is in the new wards where unknown people are taking advantage of illegally allocating land.

And Kabila Ward Councilor, Mubita Mwiimba attributed some of the land problems to the unplanned settlements.

Mr Mwiimba said most of land is administered by the traditional leadership hence the council and Ministry of Lands having little or no powers over such land.

He has since appealed to government to harmonize the relationship between the central government, the Council and the traditional leadership so as to bring sanity in land administration.