MMD cadres harass displaced Ng’ombe residents over land

MMD cadres harass displaced Ng’ombe residents over land
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:31:55 AM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda's senior private secretary William Banda has been accused of spearheading MMD cadres that are violently harassing, beating up and threatening to grab land from Ng'ombe displaced people in Lusaka. But Banda said he was only trying to help Ng'ombe displaced people.

Leaders of Ng'ombe displaced residents, Stephen Ludaka and Mostone Mbewe, confirmed that MMD cadres had been harassing their followers, who were waiting to be formally allocated plots on the land opposite SOS Village on Great North Road in Lusaka.

According to MMD insiders, Banda had summoned Ludaka and his committee members to the MMD secretariat for a meeting over their land.

"It seems Mr William Banda wanted to intimidate Ludaka and his committee members; he called them for a meeting which took place on Monday 8th June, 2009 at MMD secretariat in the conference room around 15:00 hours. During that meeting, Mr Banda, who was chairing that meeting demanded that Ludaka and his committee surrender 127 plots to the MMD for onward distribution to its members," the source said. "He said the violence will only stop after they surrender that land to the party. That is like endorsing the action by some of our members and this is denting the image of the party. Mr Banda has been going to that land for some time to check whether the plots had been released to the MMD or not. It seems during the Monday meeting Mr Ludaka gave in and promised to release the 127 plots to the party.

"In fact, at first, our chairman for Matero Constituency and other party members were just demanding for 120 plots but Mr Banda said the party wants 127 plots for its members. He said after Ludaka gives them 127 plots, the party will intervene in the wrangles."

One of the victims, who sought anonymity, said the MMD leadership in Matero had summoned Ludaka and his colleagues for a meeting in Matero and during the meeting, some MMD leaders demanded plots, warning that if they were not given 120, plots the violence would continue until they surrender the land.

"Our leaders are under pressure from the MMD cadres to surrender our land to the cadres," the resident said. "The MMD cadres frequently come here to harass us; they come with guns and other weapons to beat us. But whenever we report to the police, nothing happens. but we suspect there are senior MMD, government and police officers involved in this because these cadres do this with impunity."

The residents said on May 24, 2009 several armed MMD cadres went to the land where they were firing in the air and beating up some residents to coerce them to surrender the land.

"They almost shot one woman; the MMD cadres come in buses to harass us. On 22nd May, 2009, MMD cadres came in buses and destroyed Ludaka's house to compel him to surrender the plots to them. On 23rd May, 2009, the cadres burnt tent houses," said the resident. "We are now living in fear. We have reported to the Human Rights Commission but they have done nothing. Nothing"

When contacted, Ludaka confirmed that the MMD cadres had been going to the area to beat up and demand land.

He explained that the land was given to the Ng'ombe displaced people by the late president Levy Mwanawasa after they were evicted from the land they were occupying in Ng'ombe township in Lusaka.

"The land is a de-gazetted forest land number 28, which was formerly under ZAFFICO [Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation]. Currently there are 407 plots which are supposed to be shared among the Ng'ombe displaced residents but the government has not yet given us offer letters. We have occupied the land and we are just waiting for offer letters. That land was provided to us by Mr Mwanawasa," Ludaka said.

However, he could neither deny nor confirm meeting Banda and MMD leaders, who were demanding for land.

Ludaka accused his opponent Mbewe of fuelling the land wrangles.

Ludaka said Mbewe was illegally selling plots meant for vulnerable Ng'ombe displaced people.

But Mbewe confirmed that MMD cadres were harassing the people.

"Yes, I am told that MMD cadres are involved," Mbewe said.

He said Ludaka was the one illegally allocating land to his [Ludaka's] followers.

"That is forest land but part of it, the Commissioner of Lands promised us that 150 people should be accommodated at the same place but Ludaka took advantage and distributed the land to the people," said Mbewe. "There is a wrangle, people are beating one another over the same plots."

And Banda said his only role in the matter was to help the Ng'ombe displaced people.

Banda could not deny meeting Ludaka and his committee members demanding 127 plots for MMD cadres.

"I have no role to play but to protect the Ng'ombe people; those who were given that land because that land is not for sale. Those people from both sides, those who have been selling the land and party leaders in that area, they [MMD leaders] are also complaining to say, 'those Ng'ombe people are now in Matero.'" Banda explained.

"People are going to the party leaders complaining about Mr Mbewe who is selling the land. So my role is to tell them that there is nobody who is supposed to sell land without permission from the Ministry of Lands or the council. So those who are using the name of the party, I don't think they are proper party cadres or party leaders in branch or constituency..."

He said the Ng'ombe displaced people, headed by Ludaka, were given land in question by the Ministry of Lands and no one should victimise them.

"That land was not for any other person apart from Ng'ombe displaced people. Now if somebody has gone there to say that they want to get the land, denying those people from Ng'ombe, that person is committing an offence," Banda said.

"According to my information, those people have been fighting, I don't know which people have been fighting; this is according to the report that I have. There is somebody there by the name of Mr [Mostone] Mbewe whose name is being mentioned that he has sold some of the land and then what we have done is that let them investigate and write down all the plots that have been sold without the knowledge of Ministry of Lands and the [Lusaka City] Council."

Banda said late president Mwanawasa, President Rupiah Banda and MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba had issued public statements that party cadres owned no land and cadres that illegally grab land had committed would be punished.