Maravi

Matero residents riot after evictions

Matero residents riot after evictions
Written by Terence Miselo
Friday, May 29, 2009 4:45:24 PM

LUSAKA'S Matero residents yesterday fought running battles with a combined team of police and bailiffs who swung into action to evict those occupying former National Marketing Board (NAMBORD) houses which now belong to the government.

And the Ministry of Works and Supply confirmed sanctioning the eviction of occupants, saying the matter of NAMBOARD houses started a long time ago and the government was just following the Supreme Court ruling of 2006, which allowed them to take over ownership of the houses.

The incident occurred when the team, which arrived at 06:00 hours on Matero's Salima Road where most of the houses are located, made its way into the homes and removed the household goods and ordered the occupants to vacate the houses.

When the operation was advancing, the residents started resisting and teamed up by throwing stones at the officers. The residents then started chanting anti-MMD slogans and called for change.

They persistently flashed PF symbols and were heard shouting "we want change, we want change".

The police then fired tear-gas cannisters to try and disperse the irate residents who continuously resisted and roughed up the officers.

In an interview, Brywell Lunda, one of the evictees, a retired police officer working under NAMBOARD, said he was shocked that the government had reached that decision.

Lunda complained that he was not aware of the government ownership of the houses and wondered why he had been allowed to occupy the house all that long.

Another victim, who sought anonymity, said it was sad that the government had failed to protect the interests of the poor people.

He narrated that he had also been working for the defunct NAMBOARD, which gave him the house as a sitting tenant since 1981.

He wondered why he could not buy the house as a tenant like was the case in other institutions.

"Who do they want to give the houses to? If they say we are not the rightful owners who then should buy the houses?" he asked.

He called on the relevant authorities to investigate the matter and claimed that there was corruption involved.

"This is clear that there is corruption involved and we urge the investigative wings to probe the NAMBOARD assets. We are the ones who should buy these house." he said.

But works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti said the government was just following the ruling, which was passed in its favour by the Supreme Court.

"This problem started a long time ago and has been in court. What the ministry is doing is just following the ruling from the highest court. We are just enforcing judgment and the people were allowed to stay in the houses because the issue was in court and they have lost," said Mulongoti.

About 11 households out of the initial 14 in Matero have been affected and the government says this is an ongoing process which involves 38 houses and flats in various townships in Lusaka that government acquired from the defunct NAMBOARD.

Labels: MATERO

posted by MrK @ 3:48 PM