ZCCM-IH SETS RECORD STRAIGHT
ZCCM-IH has at no time authorised or transferred any portions of its land in front of the Uchi Tailing Dams in Nkana East in Kitwe that has been encroached by third parties, the company has said.
The company is surprised how the encroachers had obtained title for land that did not belong to them.
In a letter dated March 27, 2019 signed by ZCCM-IH Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mabvuto Chipata addressed to the Commissioner of lands, the encroachers acquired title without its consent or permission.
“It had come to our attention that certain individuals are claiming to own parcels of land on lot 444/M and have in fact acquired title,” the letter read in part.
The letter states that at no time did the company transfer ownership of its land in Kitwe to third parties.
It said the only land transfer agreements which had been done were between itself and CopperTree Minerals, a company in which it owns shares.
‘’We wish to advise that at no time did ZCCM-IH authorise or transfer any portion of the land encompassing Lot 444/MM to any third parties; and the only land transfer agreements was between Coppertree minerals limited and itself. We have since advised the local authority, the Kitwe City Council,’’ read part of the letter
The letter further read that ZCCM-IH was the registered owner of various portions of land on the Copperbelt and was still in the process of transferring certain parcels of land that were sold at privatisation of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) limited or were committed for use for other mining and related projects.
“You may also be aware that ZCCM-IH is a shareholder in CopperTree Minerals Limited, a company incorporated to develop the Kitwe Tailings Re-treatment project.
“As part of our contribution to the project, it was agreed that ZCCM IH would contribute and transfer certain parcels of land to CopperTree Minerals Limited in the Kitwe area,’’ read part of the letter
The letter was copied to Coppertree Minerals Limited Acting Chief Executive Officer and the then Kitwe Town Clerk Bornwell Luanga.
A US$500million project to process tailing dams in Kitwe by Coppertree Minerals was in limbo because a senior civic leader in connivance with some officers at the Ministry of Lands in Ndola allegedly illegally sold the piece of land belonging to ZCCH- IH. The named Kitwe senior civic leader in connivance with officers at the Ministry of Lands in Ndola are alleged to have sold the piece of land to the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church and two individuals.
Both Coppertree Minerals Operations Manager Basil Siwila and Kitwe Town Clerk Mbulo Seke confirmed the development in two separate interviews.