‘We’ll raze structures built on land lined up for schools, clinics’

STRUCTURES which have been illegally constructed on land earmarked for schools, clinics, markets and other development projects will be demolished because they were hindering the developmental agenda of the new dawn administration,’’ Kitwe District Commissioner Lawrence Mwanza has said.

Mr Mwanza said Government will not allow people to encroach on pieces of land earmarked for the construction of schools, clinics and markets because it wanted to develop various parts of the country and improve people’s lives through the construction of various infrastructure

He was speaking in Kafue Park area where a piece of land earmarked for the construction of a secondary school has been encroached on, by squatters who have put up their own structures.

Mr Mwanza, who was with District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Chrispin Nyungila and Kitwe City Council officers, said squatters should not resist moving from the area, but must cooperate with the local authorities and other stakeholders

Mr Mwanza had earlier toured Kitwe West where another piece of land had been earmarked for the construction of a secondary school by the government.

And speaking later, Kafue Park Community chairperson Mwaba Chibale said people who had decided to squat in the area should not blame anyone, now that the government had decided to evict them because, from the beginning they were told that the land was earmarked for a school

Mr Chibale said, when the land was being earmarked for a school, there was no one in the area, but after it was earmarked for a school, which was when they decided to encroach on it.

“These people are just stubborn and thick headed. They do not listen. Government must move on and start preparing the land for the construction of a school. We told them this land is for school, but they ignored our advice,’’ Mr Chibale said

And a councilor, Mr David Phiri also said there was a lot of mob psychology in the area where those who were eager to move were being incited against the idea to move

Last week, seven residents of Luangwa Township in Kitwe, among them six women and one man, were arrested for criminal trespass after they trespassed on a land which belonged to Children in Distress (CINDI) Kitwe

The seven, who are in police custody pending appearance in court, have been trespassing on land which allegedly belonged to CINDI in Kitwe, which was bought by the organisation in 2008 and was already on title.