LETTERS - Land Reform
Land reform essentialBy Pastor Nicholas Sii, Monze
Thursday July 12, 2007 [04:00]
Following the discourse by one of the Post columnists Siame Simeo on the issues regarding land, He asked the esteemed readers of your Newspaper to engage in a debate over Land tenure in Zambia. Surprisingly, no one has contributed to this long overdue debate on land tenure by citizens and foreigners alike. The issues that he raised are of paramount importance for our political leaders both in government and those in the opposition.
These are the issues that our members of parliament would do well to debate. One of the questions Simeo posed in the Sunday Post a fortnight ago was whether it was possible to sell land to a Zambian when it is in fact his/hers by birthright? Our being born in Zambia has bequeathed upon us the very land mass of Zambia, therefore it stands to reason that this is the only and on the face of God's earth we can lay claim to?
The next question brother Simeo posed that begs an answer from technocrats in the field of land in Zambia was that why do we give away our land to foreigners on lease for 99 years? We are the only own Country in the world that sells land to foreigners!
These questions need a lengthy discourse that we the bonafide citizens of this country need to engage in.
The superficiality and shallowness of most Zambians make them not consider such issues as important. We seem to be enamored by the cell phones and talk time more than life and death issues like land which have a bearing on posterity. Let’s wake up as Zambians.
Why should large tracks of Zambian virgin land lie idle due to prohibitive costs of land and the bureaucracy at the Ministry of Land? It is time to pass radical land reform legislation that empowers Zambians with their land as a right. This should be advocated in the new constitution as an appendage to the Bill of rights.
Labels: LAND REFORM, LETTERS
posted by MrK @ 4:28 AM
2 Comments:
Why should large tracks of Zambian virgin land lie idle due to prohibitive costs of land and the bureaucracy at the Ministry of Land? It is time to pass radical land reform legislation that empowers Zambians with their land as a right. This should be advocated in the new constitution as an appendage to the Bill of rights.
This is more important than any NGOs aid.
And land ownership is something that should be addressed in the constitution. As should the rights and obligations of local government, parliament, etc.
There should be a proper separation of the powers of state, and specifically powers should be moved from the presidency to parliament and the civil service.
Agreed.
This is a useful contribution to the debate.
Land should be instilled as right in the constitution I think. But probably that would be difficult to get agreement on. Especially since customary land belongs to chiefdoms.
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