Siavonga forestry reserve squatters face eviction

ILLEGAL settlers who have encroached in Mutolang’anga forestry reserve in Siavonga district have been served with eviction letters and will soon be evicted from the land, Siavonga district commissioner Mr Lovemore Kanyama has said.

The district commissioner said following the announcement by Lands and Natural Resources Minister Jean Kapata that all those who had encroached in the forest reserves should vacate, forest officers in the district had issued warning letters to the affected Settlers to leave the forest.

“I can confirm that letters have been issued to all illegal settlers in Mutolang’anga forest reserve and what is remaining is government ato move in and evict those who are resisting to move from the forest reserve,” said Mr Kanyama.

Mr Kanyama said the continued stay of people in the forestry reserve had the potential to wipe out the only existing forest in the district as most of the settlers in Mutolang'anga were charcoal burners. He said officers from the forest department had been instructed to act to ensure that charcoal burning did not occur in the forestry area.

Meanwhile, villagers residing in Mutolang’anga forestry reserve have asked government to find an alternative area for them before evicting them from the land they have occupied for many years.

Speaking on behalf of the villagers, Mr James Mwiinga said it would be unfair for government to remove people from the forestry reserve without finding alternative place for them to shift to.

He said the villagers had lived in the area for many years and therefore Government should first find alternative land to resettle them.

“Government should know that we have lived in this area for many years and it will be unfair to just push us away without finding us an alternative place where can resettle otherwise they will just create another problem,” Mr Mwiinga.

Last year, villagers in Mutolang’anga area threatened to bewitch forestry officers in Siavonga after the department tried to stop them from cutting trees for charcoal burning.