Probe land wrangles, demands ZDDM

By BENNIE MUNDANDO WE need to immediately constitute a commission of inquiry that will investigate land wrangles which are on an increase, says the Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM).

The party charged that criminals in complicity with some disgruntled and corrupt officers from the Ministry of Lands and councils were terrorising citizens over their inheritance.

Speaking to the Daily Nation at the weekend, ZDDM president Edwin Sakala said the levels of corruption which had characterised land administration and allocation must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Mr. Sakala said most of the mischief which had caused anguish among Zambians was orchestrated by disgruntled individuals who were tampering with records at the Ministry of Lands hence the need to constitute an independent body that will probe such illegalities.He said it was sad that Zambians were losing their land to unscrupulous individuals who had money to bribe certain officers to alter their documents even when they already had title and that even if such cases were taken to court, the original owners of the land stood to lose as courts would still demand for records from the ministry. “There is too much mischief in this country where land administration is concerned and the buck stops at the Ministry of Lands. We have had instances where one piece of land has two titles yet there is only one authority mandated with the issuance of title to land. If it is not corruption, then what is creating all this confusion?” Mr Sakala said.