Kabitaka developers advised to obtain permits

THE Solwezi Municipal Council has clarified that it has no information or record of any intention to evict the 80 Kabitaka families from state land.

The local authority has instead advised the families to obtained planning permission to legalise any development.

Council Assistant Public Relations Manager Esther Chirwa said the land in question was offered to Kansanshi Mine by the Ministry of Lands in 2015.

Ms Chirwa said the land was surveyed by the Surveyor General stating that it is deemed as state land.

She said that any developments on State land require obtaining planning permission from the local authority.

‘’Any developer who develops his or her plot without planning permission risks his or her building being demolished without compensation,’’ Ms Chirwa said.

She said the owners of the demolished structures captured on the same news item were served with an enforcement notice to provide evidence of the planning permission but the notice expired without explanation from the developers.

Ms Chirwa said the demolitions of incomplete buildings over a year ago had nothing to do with ownership of the land in question.

‘’But had more to do with carrying out development on land without planning permission which is contrary to section 49 of the urban and Regional Planning Act No 3 of 2015,’’ she said.

Ms Chirwa has since advised all developers to obtain planning permission from the council to avoid any inconveniences.