LUANO LAND SCAM
Dear Editor, MY attention has been drawn to a lead newspaper article entitled “Luano Land Scam”, which appeared with two pictures of myself in your Sunday 13th May Edition of the Daily Nation. I don’t know why you decided to feature my person when in fact your News Reporter unprofessionally omitted to seek my comment on the captioned story. Instead the reporter was quoting some un-named Village Headman , an Area Councillor, and some lady by the name of Rhoda Mumba.
Of course actions of dealing in land sale for personal profit by public officials can attract the anger of my subjects, and I can assure everybody involved that I will investigate these scams and help bring the culprits to book. That is my royal responsibility. But if your newspaper is to be helpful in this fight, you must ensure you report viewpoints obtained from both sides. Why did you feature my picture in such bad light? You may end up worsening an already bad situ- ation. I am aware of some subjects who have been complaining that Investors have come to Luano District to dispossess people of their traditional land. When genuine investors come, they must of course pass through my Court, and also through the District Council Offices. Those who end up acquiring land for development purposes are usually those who have been adequately screened and found to be genuine and serious. One such investor is the Seed Company of Zambia (SeedCo), who have already established themselves as sponsors of maize seed growers, especially in Mkushi. I don’t think this company can dispossess anyone and end up paying them compensation of K300. If we have to attract Investors we must protect the good investors from the filth of lies, and calumny.
I personally feel jealous that in the North-western Province our colleagues there seem to have brokered a win-win situation with Mining Investors. I want some of that for my own Chiefdom. That is why I have been encouraging some capable Zambians to go ahead with the proposed Muchinga Hydro Power Station, which will bring employment to over a thousand locals and lights into our people’s homes. In a Country of Laws, there are other stakeholders who are supposed to work with me as the resident Chief; Officials such as the DC, the Council Chairman, Council Secretary, and the MP. (Checks and Balances).
So, before your news reporters start scattering filth around, they should obtain comments concerning alleged scams, from all these officials instead of rushing to print, featuring the picture of the resident Chief as if he was the culprit, damaging people’s reputations unnecessarily. We all deserve fair treatment before the Law and before the news-writer’s ball-pen; we should avoid the bad tendency of resorting to Courts of Law to settle allegations of character assassination. Yours faithfully Damiano Chitambo shimoko HRH Chief Kanyenshya