GOVT REPOSSESSES PALABANA INSTITUTE LAND

MORE than 600 hectares illegally grabbed from Palabana Dairy Training Institute, has been repossessed by government.

Government has repossessed 669 hectare that was illegally obtained and demarcated from Palabana Dairy Training Institute for the creation of small holdings by the Patriotic Front Government.

Lands and Natural Resources Minister Elijah Muchima said the piece of land had been repossessed because there was some illegality and fraud involved when grabbing it from the training institution.

Mr. Muchima was shocked that some documents show authorisation from senior Government officers despite having not followed the right procedure to demarcate the land.

He said Government will follow the right procedure to ensure the land was given back to Palabana Dairy Training Institute which was earmarked to be expanded into a university.

Mr. Muchima was speaking when he called on Palabana Dairy Training Institute Principal Kelvin Musonda institution.

He added that Government is ready to face anyone in the courts of Law who benefitted from the land and constructed structures.

Meanwhile, Livestock and Fisheries Minister Makozo Chikote questioned why land was demarcated from the Institute when the college was earmarked to expand into a university.

Mr. Chikote said Government would ensure everyone who was involved is engaged and that the law would be followed to the letter.

He also said it was clear that majority of the people that benefitted were politically connected to the previous regime.

And Mr. Musonda thanked Government for intervening in the matter.

Mr. Musonda said his life was threatened in the course of pushing for the repossession of the institutional land.