Levy’s daughter given unadvertised plot

Levy’s daughter given unadvertised plot
By Nomusa Michelo and Sandra Lombe
Saturday March 24, 2007 [02:00]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa's daughter Mirriam Luwale Mwanawasa is among several people who have been allocated unadvertised plots in Lusaka's Makeni area on farm number 397a. According to records obtained from the Ministry of Lands, Mirriam was allocated an unadvertised plot number F/397a/148 this year.

In January this year, the Ministry of Lands called for applications for 40 residential plots of the subdivided Farm 397a, (F/397a/94 to F/397a/133) when in fact the farm had been subdivided into 62 residential plots. According to a plan obtained from Lusaka City Council (LCC), which is responsible for city planning, farm 397a was subdivided into 62 plots, with property numbers ranging from F/397a/94 to F/397a/155.

An advert placed in the Times of Zambia dated February 14, 2007, published the names of 40 successful applicants who had attended interviews and were allocated the plots. The plot that Mirriam along with several other people were allocated was not advertised by the ministry. Others allocated the unadvertised plots include Lusaka Province police commanding officer Wasakaza N’guni on F/297a/136 and Alex Luhila Cadman on F/297a/139b.

Lands minister Bradford Machila said the ministry would investigate the allocations to ensure they were properly allocated. "We shall look into the process through which these allocations were done. We are mindful of the fact that there could be a multiplicity of factors such as the replacement allocation following the occurrence of double allocation," he said. "We thank you for bringing this to our attention. It is important for us to restore the public's confidence in the integrity of the ministry and begin to shake off this tag of corruption."

Machila said some of the allocations may have been made as compensation following irregular re-entry of a property or a ruling in the Lands Tribunal. "We are still trying to ascertain in what category these allocations may fall or there were at the discretion of the Commissioner of Lands (Frightone Sichone)," Machila said. "There could be an instance of compensation or replacement following an improper or irregular re-entry of property previously owned by someone."

Meanwhile, legal counsel in the Ministry of Lands Anna Mwitwa has resigned her position amidst investigations on allegations of corruption at the ministry. According to sources, Mwitwa is one of the officers in the ministry being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) on allegations of corruption. Sources say Mwitwa early this year resigned after being questioned by the DEC but later rescinded her decision and returned to work.

In an interview, Mwitwa confirmed that she had resigned her position as she was taking up a new job in the private sector. "That's a light thing, yes I resigned. I am taking up a new job in the private sector," she said. When asked if there were other reasons for her resignation, Mwitwa declined to say much. "I can't comment. I am not a public figure for me to give you such information." But Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands Bernard Namachila said he was not aware of Mwitwa's resignation. However, sources say Mwitwa's resignation was not accepted and she has since been asked to return to work.