HH DEFIES ORDER OVER LAND
By NATION REPORTER UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s workers have once again started fencing off the communal land in Ngabo area in Namwala district despite government's order to stop activities, the Daily Nation has learnt.
Namwala District Commissioner (DC) Mary Sakala said she has received reports from Headmen complaining that Mr Hichilema's workers have resumed fencing off the communal land despite government’s order to halt the exercise.
''Mr Hichilema has continued fencing off the land belonging to the community despite being advised to stop doing so,” she said.
The opposition leader had been given more than 1,500 hectares of land, but Government ordered that the exercise be stopped immediately as it would have disadvantaged 600 villagers.
The area in question is communal where livestock farmers take their animals for grazing and also use the same land for other purposes.
However, Ms Sakala told the Daily Nation in an interview that the opposition leader and his workers have defied Government order despite being aware that the communal land was not only for animal-grazing but other purposes too.
Villagers in the surrounding areas collect their herbal medicines from the same location and if it was fenced off more than 600 people would be disadvantaged.
The DC said she had recently been receiving fresh complaints from the affected villagers that Mr Hichilema had not heeded Government order.
Ms Sakala said she has since asked Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale to intervene.
''The Minister of Southern Province and another Minister will be visiting the area next week to ascertain what is transpiring in Ngabo area,” she said.
Mr Hichillema acquired in excess of 1,500 hectares of land from some headmen in Ngabo and Ichila area in Namwala District.
He reportedly acquired the vast area using an agent only identified as Flexon, a development which infuriated the villagers.
Recently, Wine Lukosha who is headman Lukosha of chief Mukobela’s area, narrated to the Daily Nation that in 2014, Government had organised two separate meetings with villagers in chief Mukobela and Muchila aimed at resolving the land dispute.