Maravi

Nigerian firm to dislodge families Kafulafuta

Nigerian firm to dislodge families Kafulafuta
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Fri 10 Sep. 2010, 04:01 CAT

OVER 300 families are threatened with displacement in Lupiya area in Kafulafuta Constituency as Nigerian cement manufacturing company, Dangote Industries Limited, intends to start operations in the area.

But Dangote Industries logistics manager Kampewa Nundwe said the company would not remove households but admitted that farming areas might be affected and the victims would be compensated.

According to sources close to the transaction, management of the company had identified Lupiya, an area with more than 300 families, to set up their operations.

The sources said senior government officials involved in the transaction were displeased with the kind of opposition the project faced from area member of parliament George Mpombo and some people from members of the Chiwala Royal Establishment.

“As you are aware, there was that chieftainship wrangle where the person who was widely believed to be the rightful heir John Malokotela stood for the people when this company just came with their displacement proposal and so they saw him as a threat and was dribbled in the courts. Majaliwa was only installed for two things: Firstly to make things right for MMD which are upside down and secondly to protect the interests of the powers in government that are involved in this cement company,” the source said.

The source said Dagonte was back with its plans now that Majaliwa had been installed as chief.

But Nundwe said it was not true that people would be displaced but that the company would establish its quarry in the swamp area.

Nundwe said the company was currently conducting an Environment Impact Assessment on land which had settlements.

He, however, admitted that there was a possibility that people might lose their farming land but the company was ready to compensate them for the loss.

Nundwe said the company would start a scheme for the displaced families and compensation would be set up to ensure that no affected person went away complaining.

“There is land that is available with nobody there. If we find land that is inhabited, we will talk to the chief again and if it is established that there are people doing farming activities, we will start a resettlement scheme on an alternative land for farming and we’ll dig boreholes and we will also give them subsidies for them to start up their lives once again,” he said.

Nundwe said his company had not yet sensitised villagers on the plans because they feared that everybody would rush to the new land in order to benefit from the scheme and other benefits that would come with the programme. Meanwhile, Mpombo said he was opposed to the idea of displacing people from the river area to pave way for the construction of the cement plant.

“What we did is that I found these guys trying to displace people from the river area and I stopped them. But of late I have heard that they have been going ahead but I am yet to consult the local councillor. I have had two meetings in Lupiya area and Lubendo, and I am consistently opposed to the displacement of the people. I am surprised but I have arranged for the meeting with them this weekend,” said Mpombo.

Labels: FDI, KAFULAFUTA, LAND RIGHTS

posted by MrK @ 4:16 AM