DEMOLITION PUZZLE
THE planned demolition of more than 600 properties illegally erected on Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) reserve land stems from the mess created by councils that went on a wanton sale of land. Therefore, individual councils must take the blame for the muddle in many parts of the country particularly in the urban areas. In Ndola, for instance, the city council allocated plots between the Ndola Golf Club and Kafubu River. This is a stretch designated as reserve land for the railway line which runs parallel to the Kafubu River. Some houses have been erected less than 20 metres from the main railway line. It is a waterlogged area, which is not habitable. In Luanshya, the inter-mine railway line which runs across Lumumba road near Zesco offices has literally been uprooted; new structures have been erected instead. The case is the same in Kitwe where residents have built houses on ZRL reserve land in Mindolo – they are now threatened with demolition. It is also true that the situation in Lusaka is equally disastrous as reserve land and locations which ZRL had earmarked for future developments had all been sold as residential as well as commercial plots. Councils in the affected areas breached the law with impunity, leaving beneficiaries of scandalous transactions in a quandary. The land allocation procedure is clear. The local authorities, which are land agencies for the central government, have to invite applications through a national advertisement after approval by full-council meeting. Thereafter, interested individuals and organisations can apply by completing and submitting designated documents which are processed and thoroughly scrutinised. Successful applicants are then invited for interviews while approvals are done by the full council meeting before offer letters are given out. Even at this stage, offer letters are not full guarantee of ownership until land fees are paid and certificate of title issued. However, the established procedure was ignored as some councillors usurped the whole process and introduced short-cuts fraught with corruption. It is no secret that councillors were the perpetrators of this illegality and drafted some full-time employees into the melee. At Ndola City Council, the previous top management has been cited in the AuditorGeneral’s report as having been involved in the illegal plot allocation. At one time, Vice-President Inonge Wina conducted an on-spot-check and was shocked to find mansions built on the banks of the Kafubu River near the Ndola-Luanshya railway line, which apparently has been uprooted. More shocking was the fact that the very railway line which cuts across Nkana Road just before the Kafubu River Bridge has been uprooted and transformed into a graded access road. Thus ZRL chief Executive officer Christopher Musonda is spot on and within the law to issue a demolition alert. Respective councils breached the law and should now engage the railway firm to find an amicable solution to this mess. Residents got offer letters from the councils. What is worrying though is the fact that some people accepted plots 10 meters away from the line yet the law states that there should be an allowance of 50 metres. Firstly, some people got plots and erected beautiful structures because of crass ignorance of the statutes while others are well aware of the requirements and elected to defy both logic and legal requirements. ZRL is a vital national asset whose properties need to be protected. On the other hand, some developers were duped into believing that the council and ZRL had agreed to demarcate and sell reserve land. It is now national interest for ZRL on one hand and morality for some residents who have spent their fortune to put up their houses on the other. Sadly, the cash-strapped councils cannot afford to compensate the affected residents. This is certainly a dicey situation. ZRL and the councils should sit and come up with a solution which must not disadvantage any party.