MUCHIMA WARNS INVESTORS AGAINST GRABBING LAND FROM VILLAGERS

…as 60pc of the land in Chief Mukungule’s area of Shiwang’andu has allegedly been invaded by foreign investors

SOME investors have invaded over 60 percent of the land in Chief Mukungule’s chiefdom of Shiwang’andu.

This has seen people being denied their land rights and others being displaced. And Chief Mukungule says as far as he is concerned, he has never signed any consent letter to allow such investors. He said his chiefdom is a Game Management Area (GMA) but that investors have turned the area into a farm bloc and people are being displaced. Chief Mukungule said government and relevant authorities should quickly come on board and ensure that the land is given back to the people. He said if this issue will not be resolved amicably, it will attract total confusion and peace in the chiefdom will be disrupted, adding that he will not accept to have his people displaced. The chief lodged a formal complaint to Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Elijah Muchima when the minister paid a courtesy call on him. Chief Mukungule added that one of the investors came in as a way of teaching his subjects about soya beans farming but he is surprised that the investor is now claiming to own the land. He said at some point, the same investor came with some draft consent letters that he should sign to validate ownership of the land but that he refused. “I’m now surprised they are claiming that I signed a consent letter. I never did that. I even asked them in one of the meetings to bring the same copy that I signed to date they have never brought it,” Chief Mukungule said. Responding to the chief’s appeal, Mr Muchima said no land should be issued without the consent of the chief. Mr Muchima said his ministry will investigate the matter working together with other line ministries such as the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Agriculture. He added that if a title deed was issued without physical inspection and without consulting both the chief and the people, such title deeds shall be cancelled. Mr Muchima said the ministry is going to be objective in dealing with this matter, adding that both the people and the chief shall be involved at all levels. “I promise you, we are going to find a lasting solution to this issue. We shall examine the maps and all the farming blocs so that we see where the problem is and the correct thing shall be done,” Mr Muchima said.