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Kapiji condemns William over Ng’ombe land

Kapiji condemns William over Ng’ombe land
By Patson Chilemba
Thu 08 Apr. 2010, 04:00 CAT

MMD national executive committee (NEC) chairperson for land Judith Kapijimpanga yesterday condemned Lusaka Province party chairman William Banda for allegedly grabbing land from Ng’ombe displaced residents.

Commenting on the revelations by leader of the former Ng’ombe residents Stephen Ludaka that Banda and his cadres violently harassed Ng’ombe displaced residents in Lusaka over the weekend in an attempt to grab land from them, Kapijimpanga said MMD leaders should be exemplary in their conduct by upholding law and order.

She said it was not Banda’s duty to repossess the land from the people, which was lawfully given to them.

“I feel we should be exemplary, and we should uphold the rule of law. If indeed there is something wrong the residents have done regarding land, the onus is on the chairman to report to relevant authorities so that something is done about it, in the confines of the law,” Kapijimpanga said.

“Because it is not correct as members of the party in power to harass people over land matters, all the chairman should do is report to the commissioner of lands so that those people can be given necessary notice for repossession or allocation to other people who are interested.”

Kapijimpanga said she failed to understand what the problem was because the Ministry of Lands had a list of Ng’ombe residents who were allocated land.

“I hope what I have read in The Post and what I have been told is not true, because I do not expect our Lusaka Province chairman, a man of his standing to do something like that,” Kapijimpanga said.

“There was an instruction from late president Levy Mwanawasa when the council evicted those people from that land they had squatted on. At that time I was a minister, and we lawfully allowed the affected families to settle there. They may not have had the money to develop, but as citizens let us support the rule of law, and if indeed there are others who are interested in that land, I think we should report to the relevant authorities so that land is procedurally taken back.”

Kapijimpanga condemned Banda’s action.

“That is why I am insisting that we should uphold the rule of law, because I think we are putting the President’s name into disrepute because all land is vested in the President for and on behalf of the people of Zambia. And if we as MMD start to be unlawful about land matters, then the President in whose name land is vested, we are putting his name into disrepute,” Kapijimpanga said.

“It makes very sad reading because William Banda is a very senior member. If it is true that he has gone to Ng’ombe residents to grab land, I would like to know why, because we have got a commissioner of lands.“

Kapijimpanga said it was unlawful to grab land from other people, unless one had title deeds or documents to show cause.

“The Commissioner of Lands should be informed if the people have not developed land in the designated 24 months, so that a re-entry process is started. And the people who are interested can be allowed,” said Kapijimpanga.

Ludaka, who has gone into hiding following MMD cadres’ threat on his life, said Banda and a group of MMD cadres went to the land the government allocated to former Ng’ombe residents along Kabwe road and started harassing them, forcing them to surrender over 127 plots to them.

Banda could not deny the allegations that he led a group of cadres to Ng’ombe displaced people’s land to compel them to surrender the land to MMD cadres.

Labels: JUDITH KAPIJIMPANGA, LAND RIGHTS, NG'OMBE

posted by MrK @ 2:50 PM