Maravi

Govt warns Nkomeshya, Shakumbila over dispute

Govt warns Nkomeshya, Shakumbila over dispute
By Lambwe Kachali and Agness Changala
Thursday June 19, 2008 [04:00]

LOCAL government minister Sylvia Masebo yesterday said the government will not hesitate to dissolve chief Shakumbila and chieftainess Nkomeshya's chiefdoms if the two continued to issue bloodshed threats. Briefing the press in Lusaka, Masebo said it was embarrassing and unacceptable for the two traditional leaders to be insulting each other over land through the press.

Masebo, who emphasised the need for peace, said the government was silent over the boundary disputes between chief Shakumbila and chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II because they believed that the issue could not be resolved through the press.

She said it had become common among chiefs to quarrel over land boundaries and that the government was aware that the motivating factor behind most disputes was the issue of allocating land to investors.

Masebo advised chief Shakumbila and chieftainess Nkomeshya to stop insulting each other, saying doing so would only worsen the situation. She said according to the Zambian Constitution, the mandate over land was vested in the President.
Masebo said although chiefs had powers over land on behalf of their subjects, they should not take the law into their hands.

"I want also to say that land in Zambia is vested in the President on behalf of the people of Zambia. That is the official law according to the Constitution. With this, government recognises the fact that land at the lower organs is also vested in the chiefs on behalf of their subjects and at the same time under the land Act. We have the ministry and the Commissioner of Lands who act on behalf of the President. And the Commissioner of Lands delegates by appointing local authorities in the country to administer land on behalf of the state," she explained.

Masebo said it was extremely unfortunate that traditional rulers who were custodians of peace were becoming perpetrators of violence.

"I would like to advise chiefs not to issue statements that can generate into a civil war and as ministry responsible, we shall not hesitate to recommend for deregistration of any chiefdom that is going to incite violence in any part of the country," she warned.

Masebo also warned chief Shakumbila against evicting Soli headmen and other subjects from his chiefdom. She urged Zambians to discourage the promotion of tribal divisions, which she said would only take the country backwards.

"I would like to advise senior chief Shakumbila not to come up with threats of violence. I would like also to advise his subjects not be used to engage in any form of violence because once the law visits them, they will have themselves to blame.

The Sala and the Soli are one people. In fact, if you go back to history, you will find that the Salas are part of the Solis and the Solis are part of the Salas. This quarrel, which has come in is unnecessary because Lusaka Province or Central Province has not been there today.

It has been there before we were born, even before the two chiefs took office, these areas were already designated. And we never had these quarrels. So why should we have bloodshed quarrels today?" Masebo asked. "I want to seriously advise both chiefs to promote peace among their people and as government, will not sit back and allow the situation to degenerate into anarchy."

She said the 1958 map, which the country was currently using contained many narration problems.

Masebo said the ministry and the office of the Surveyor General was working on the map to rectify the boundary for the two chiefdoms. She said her ministry would invite the two chiefs so that the issue is resolved amicably.

"Now the boundary between the two chiefdoms will be communicated to the press. The ministry is working with the Surveyor General's office and are looking at the map. I want to state that we have indeed a problem with our map because some of our maps that we have do not have narrations and it will take a bit of time before we can get a narration on the Surveyor General's office.

And once that narration has been brought up from the Surveyor General's office, we shall communicate to the affected people and to the nation. In the meantime, the land in dispute is state land and therefore, there should be no quarrels between the two chiefs until government takes its position on the actual boundary," said Masebo.
And Masebo on Tuesday expressed disappointment over the council's failure to enforce by-laws.

Speaking when she toured Lusaka city, Masebo said the council had failed to provide the kind of leadership that would make Zambians abide by the laws.
"Zambians are not a problem and they are law abiding people and if there's no leadership, people will do what they feel like doing," she said.
Masebo wondered why there was so much anarchy in the city when the council was there.

A check at the industrial area on Mukatasha and Luanshya roads revealed that most people had put up restaurants near the drainages and others were selling food in unhygienic places.

Masebo ordered the council to bring down all illegal structures to return sanity to the city and help with Keep Zambia Clean Campaign standards.
She also said if any of the officers had received money from the people occupying illegal structures, they should give it back.

"If you've gotten money from them, give them back their money," Masebo said.
And to ensure that sanity and order prevailed at the Independence Stadium on the Great North Road in preparation for 2010 All Africa games, Masebo asked all people trading around that area to relocate to the new market and pave way for construction of the independence arc.

She said the place had been secured for a park and that Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) had engaged a contractor to work on the same area to improve the standards.
And Masebo said it was saddening that council officers were creating problems instead of being part of the solutions to the problems the city faced.

She said council officers should not help create more illegalities by legalising illegal structures.

Masebo said this when she visited the market situated behind longacres shopping complex where the council had legalised small structures as a market.

She also ordered the council to dismantle the entrance that Celtel Zambia Limited had created opposite Manda Hill on the Great East Road next to traffic lights.

Masebo said it was not right for Celtel Zambia to create an opening next to the traffic lights because it would cause traffic congestion.

Labels: CHIEF SHAKUMBILA, CHIEFS, CHIEFTIANESS NKOMESHYA, LAND, SYLVIA MASEBO

posted by MrK @ 3:16 AM