Maravi

Chiefs Moomba, Yeta land wrangle halts Zambezi Sawmills' production

Chiefs Moomba, Yeta land wrangle halts Zambezi Sawmills' production
By Mutale Kapekele in Mulobezi
Tuesday June 03, 2008 [04:00]

ZAMBEZI Sawmills public relations manager Elvis Kapinda has said the land wrangle between chief Moomba and chief Inyambo-Yeta has led to the shutdown of the mill. And Kapinda has said the government had delayed renovation works on the $10 million Mulobezi rail line project. In an interview on Sunday, Kapinda said production at the sawmills had stopped following the land wrangle between chiefs Moomba and Inyambo-Yeta.

“The two chiefs have been fighting for the land where our plant is located and now one of the chiefs has brought his subjects to occupy our workers’ houses,” he said. “We have 375 workers who are stranded with accommodation right now. I wish to appeal to the minister of local government to expedite the dispute resolution.”

Kapinda said the company had suffered a huge loss of business following the shutting down of the mill and that the situation gave a negative impression to investors.

“Investor confidence is very important in national development but if investors are going to be treated like this by our local leaders, they will move on,” he said. “We should always remember that it is not easy to set up a business in a remote place like Mulobezi.”
And Kapinda said the government, through the Zambia Development Agency, had repossessed the Livingstone- Mulobezi rail line, which was the property of the Zambezi Sawmills.

Labels: CHIEF MOOMBA, CHIEF YETA, CHIEFS, ZAMBEZI SAWMILLS

posted by MrK @ 7:58 AM