IS LAND OWNERSHIP A PRESERVE FOR THE RICH?
Acquisition of land in Zambia has always been a thorny issue with some few privileged individuals owning tens, hundreds some even thousands of hectares while the less fortunate in society remain disadvantaged.
Today, more and more land is being developed for production of a variety of crops, and agriculture continues to be the mainstay for the sustenance of many families especially in the countryside. The Zambian government has drafted a new land policy aimed at changing the way land is being managed. The policy will also deal with land ownership by both locals and foreigners. Another issue that the policy will tackle relates to unfinished buildings and undeveloped land. It will also deal with conditions for both Zambian and non-Zambian owned companies to curb the proliferation of unfinished investment projects, land hoarding and land speculation as well as the disposal of land for profit. The gravity of the issue of land in Zambia, especially near urban areas, is not far-fetched. In Lusaka west, farmers have cried foul over 10,000 hectares of land claimed by a white man called Howard Cook. More than 1, 000 farmers have since been threatened with eviction from the same land which has been idle for many years. The farmers have asked government to intervene in the matter that has dragged in courts for the past 21 years. Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has pledged to help the aggrieved farmers to acquire the land so that it becomes useful for agriculture purposes. Mr Lusambo toured the area recently. He was accompanied by Chilanga District Commissioner (DC) Edith Muwana, Kafue DC Joseph Kamana and Lusaka DC captain Davison Mulenga. The minister told the farmers when he visited the area that it was government's desire to ensure that farmers had enough land for farming because they had the potential to feed the nation and the southern African region. "I am grateful with what government is doing. We need to work together with President Edgar Lungu. Once we do that everything will worn out. , will fight for you to get what belongs to you,’’ he assured the farmers who gathered to meet him. Mr Lusambo told the farmers that he would meet ministers of justice Given Lubinda, Lands Jean Kapata and Attorney General Likando Kalaluka over the land in question. He assured the gathering that he would fight for what belonged to them and that no Zambian farmer would be without land to plough. He said some ‘’disgruntled’’ Zambians were working with foreigners to acquire land while leaving Zambians without any piece of land. “Am here to tell you that am with you because you are my people and President Lungu will not allow Zambians to remain without any land or to be displaced, he said. The land in question is divided into three big portions owned by the white man and local farmers are in a dilemma because they are facing eviction. The farmers want their stay on the land to be legalized to enable them to get title deeds. “Our appeal to you minister is that this land should be given to farmers who have been on this land for the past 21 years,’’ a representative of the farmers, Osick Chilembo, told the minister. Mr Lusambo, who is touring Lusaka Province, also addressed different women clubs and associations at Mundawanga Botanical Gardens in Chilanga where he oriented women on the importance of national values, principles, ethics and integrity. "Don’t entertain people preaching tribalism, if they are not talking about national values, principles, ethics and integrity, they should show good morals to the people they want to lead,’’ he told the women. Mrs Muwana, the district commissioner, said Chilanga had embarked on an orientation programme targeting mostly women on the theme: "Understanding the National Values and principles". She said the orientation was important because women played a critical role in bringing up children and inculcating morals in them. “Although this programme is meant to cover everybody in the district, we are targeting our women as a priority, so am urging all the women in the district to work closely with government by supporting various development projects in our communities," she said. Meanwhile, the farmers have been given hope and are praying that the minister’s promise to intervene would not remain a meaningless statement but be actualised.