Chiefs Madzimawe, Chanje nod land policy
TWO traditional leaders have welcomed the proposed land policy which will restrict them from selling huge chunks of land anyhow, especially to foreigners.
Chief Madzimawe of Chipata in Eastern Province said in an interview yesterday there would now be sanity in the acquisition of traditional land. “Definitely, when land is being taken away from the chiefdom, the chief cannot do it alone everyone must agree. The chief cannot wake-up and start selling land without consulting, no.
The land which is entrusted in us is not our personal property but that of the Zambian people, so when administering it people must be involved,” he said.
He appealed to government to engage all traditional leaders across the country so that they understood the contents in the proposed law.
And Chief Chanje of Chipangali in Eastern Province said in an interview yesterday that it was important for the country to have laws that would regulate land acquisition.
Chief Chanje said huge chucks of land were being sold to foreigners at the expense of Zambians.
He said regulating land acquisition would help to bring sanity in the chiefdoms across the country because there was need to ensure that Zambians benefited from its wealth rather than enriching foreigners. On Friday last week, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Jean Kapata said the proposed land policy would restrict the acquisition of land by foreigners.
Ms Kapata said according to the draft policy, for the traditional leaders to sale land especially to investors, they must backed by 50 headmen.