Govt warned against Munali demolitions (p.3)

GOVERNMENT must be prepared for a long legal battle over the impending demolition of structures in Munali and Tunduya schools because there are no irregularities involved in its acquisition, owners have vowed. Commenting on the Ministry of Local Government’s decision to demolish structures on the controversial piece of land, group representative Emmanuel Mulenga said the affected individuals would go ahead to sue respective Cabinet Ministers who were peddling lies to President Edgar Lungu to advance personal interests. Mr Mulenga wondered who the ministry had involved in what he termed as a frivolous investigation when they did not talk to any of the people they claimed had obtained land illegally. “What were they investigating and who did they interrogate before coming up with that bogus decision to demolish structures here? How dare the Ministry of Lands even has the audacity to talk about irregularities when they were the ones who issued offer letters? “Some of these Cabinet Ministers are even going to the President, to lie. All because they have personal interests,” Mr Mulenga warned. Local Government Minister, Charles Banda and Munali Member of Parliaments Nkandu Luo announced yesterday that the demolition of Illegal structures built on Munali Secondary School land would proceed immediately. The two said after analysing the whole saga, the demotion of the properties on school land would go ahead. “All the necessary procedures and investigations have been followed and concluded and as government, we have verified that the structures are illegal and therefore should be razed down,” said Dr Banda. Dr Banda also said at a press briefing that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources had been tasked to investigate how the title deeds were issued and obtained because the land belonged to the Ministry of General Education. He said Government remained resolute to put to an end the illegalities in land administration. And Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo said the demolition exercise would be extended to other schools whose land had been encroached “We will extend this exercise to other schools whose land have been encroached on. We cannot allow a situation where encroachments can be allowed even in vital public spaces such as schools,” he said.