Maposa land wrangles: mayor seeks solutions

LUANSHYA Mayor Nathan Chanda says he is saddened by the wrangles over land ownership between business entities and settlers in Maposa resettlement area.

Speaking during a stakeholders meeting for affected settlers held at Maposa Primary School in Luanshya at the weekend, Mr Chanda said it was unfortunate that the people of Maposa were living in fear and worried that they would lose the land that they and their fore fathers have lived on for many years. Mr Chanda said the people of Maposa had the right like any other Zambian to own land and provide an inheritance for their children and their future generation.

He said government believed in creating an equal and enabling environment for all citizens to develop and in turn contribute to the social and economic development of the nation.

Mr Chanda assured the two parties involved that he would ensure that a sustainable and lasting solution to the problem was found in a quickest possible time.

He further assured the settlers that no one would be removed from their land because it was their birth right.

"My office would facilitate for a meeting with the business proprietors in question together with their support team so as to come up with a favourable and fair decision over the matter in question without favour or malice.

"I will also send the survey team on the ground to capture all necessary documentation and provide an adequate report detailing accurate plot sizes of the land in question and number of settlers affected," said the mayor.

He stated that the local authority had no full hand in any of the external land allocations given to business entities in Maposa because there were no records at the council to that effect.

Mr Chanda said it was therefore imperative to reconcile past records with an updated report in order to do the right thing which is within the law and to see to it that none of the affected settlers were left uncaptured.

The mayor thanked the people of Maposa for their patience and resilience and urged them not to resort to violence as their matter would be resolved in the quickest and effective way possible.

And Maposa resident Bishop Innocent Silwamba said it was time for the people of Maposa to be told with the truth behind the wrangles and struggles over land adding that an effective and timely solution was a priority.

Another Maposa resident Chilufya Kaboyi said it was gratifying to hear themayor’s assurance over resolving the land troubles in Maposa urging him to help them resolve the matter quickly.