Probe school land encroachment, govt urged

THE syndicate of government officials behind the encroachments on school reserved land is massive and it is now up to the investigative wings to do their job, former permanent secretary for the Ministry of General Education Henry Tukombe has said.

Mr Tukombe also clarified that Lusaka Province deputy permanent secretary, Fraser Musonda, whom he named as one of the culprits behind the encroachment on the Munali Secondary School land was not involved in the leasing of Kabulonga School land.

He however insisted that although Mr Musonda was named as one of the culprits in the Munali School land, many other people were involved in the scam.

Mr Tukombe said encroachment on school land across the country was rampant and that several officials were involved.

“There is so much encroachment on school land, not only in Lusaka thats why I wrote circulars to all the provinces to ensure that all schools are on title so that schools land is protected. Remember even in Kitwe we had some issues,” he said.

Mr Tukombe revealed that when he was permanent secretary at the Ministry, he reversed a lot of illegalities on school land.

He questioned why a filling station should be built on a government school land which was reserved for something important.

Mr Tukombe said that encroachment on school land started a long time ago and that the onus was now on investigative wings to expose the culprits.

“The encroachment started way back, about who sold what and where, that the investigative can do all that,” he said.

A government delegation was recently shocked at the extent of encroachment on Munali Secondary School land which was reserved for a Centre of Excellency.

The delegation, which included Munali Member of Parliament, Nkandu Luo, Lands and Natural Resources minister, Jean Kapata and other government officials, were angered to find private and commercial buildings erected on the school land.

The encroachment on Munali Secondary School land has now been regularised.