Masebo meets stakeholders over chief Moomba, Inyambo dispute
Masebo meets stakeholders over chief Moomba, Inyambo disputeBy Mwila Chansa
Wednesday June 25, 2008 [04:00]
LOCAL government and housing minister Sylvia Masebo yesterday met with stakeholders from Southern and Western provinces in an effort to resolve the differences arising from a boundary dispute between chief Moomba of the Toka Leya and chief Inyambo Yeta of the Lozi people.
The meeting was attended by chief Moomba, chief Mukuni, their representatives, chief Inyambo’s representatives, the Surveyor General and other stakeholders.
A representative from chief Moomba had a map of 1958 showing that the disputed area, where Mulobezi Saw Mills lies, belonged to chief Moomba’s area. Chief Inyambo’s representative also had a map of 1958 showing that the area was in his chiefdom.
According to chief Mukuni of Livingstone, the disputed area was in Southern Province, but that it was allegedly manipulated by politicians in 1965 when the then Western Province minister asked his colleague from Southern Province who was a Lozi to give part of the province’s economic base to them. He claimed that the then resident commissioner predicted that the piece of land would breed problems in future as bad laws never stood the test of time.
“Actually from 1899 to 1900, our province was called Batoka Province with three districts and later in 1900 government approached… there was no state land at the time,” said chief Mukuni.
He said the current petition was secondary as the people had petitioned Dr Kenneth Kaunda in 1990 over the same piece of land.
And Masebo said explanations from both sides seemed to make sense but that what was needed was to zero in on when the maps were changed.
Surveyor General Daniel Mubanga explained that his office had various maps under different themes and that what was recognised were the current maps. He said each time a place was surveyed and a different feature was found, that was updated on the new map meaning that the old one became null and void.
Mubanga also said his office had a Statutory Instrument that altered the provincial boundary between Western and Southern provinces.
However, Masebo said after the interpretation of the maps by the surveyor general, the issue will be taken to the House of Chiefs and then to the President before it could be concluded as to where the disputed land really belongs.
Labels: CHIEF INYAMBO YETA, CHIEF MOOMBA, LAND, SURVEYOR GENERAL, SYLVIA MASEBO
posted by MrK @ 4:17 AM
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