Finalise land policy - MP

:( must Tuickly finalise and enforce the land policy to address current problems in land manage ment, Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament Jon as Chanda has said.

Dr. Chanda yesterday called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to quickly finalise and enforce the land policy in order to address current problems in land management.

He commended the PF government for being the first goYernment to develop a national land policy since 1964. He noted that apart from ensuring transparency in land allocation in both state and customary land systems and thus reduce corruption in land management, the upcoming land policy should also reduce the number of players involved in land use control and management.

Debating the report presented by the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources which focused on "land management in Zambia" and "livestock stocking and production in Zambia," Dr. Chanda stated that land ownership is a sovereign right of Zambians, not foreigners.

Meanwhile, Dr. Chanda highlighted numerous land disputes in Bwana Mkubwa constituency, including displacement of over 300 families in Chichele by Golden Lay Company, disputes between a big land buyer and families in Dairy Farm Chichele, the sale of Old Regiment compound to an oil marketing company which wanted to displace over 5,000 people, and the demolishing of buildings owned by Zambians by a foreign businessman in Jacaranda area even when the matter was before the courts.