CHIEF DIFFERS WITH STATE ON LAND ALLOCATION
‘WE do not need orders from Government on how to give out traditional land, because we have our own system, Chief Chipepo of the Tonga people of Southern Province has said.
And Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM) vice president, Charles Kafumbo said that land was a precious asset whose ownership must be preserved entirely for Zambians.
Chief Chipepo said it was offensive for Government to suggest that chiefs would not be allowed to give out land without signatures of 50 percent of Indunas (sub-chiefs) in their chiefdoms once the Draft Land Policy was finalised.
He told the Daily Nation in an interview yesterday that traditional leaders had their own procedure they followed when giving out land, of which the Indunas were also part of.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister Jean Kapata recently announced in Parliament that chiefs would now require the backing of at least 50 percent of their Indunas to give out huge tracks of land once the Draft National Policy was completed.
Ms Kapata said the practice by some traditional leaders to sell land without consulting their Indunas had left many subjects displaced. Chief Chipepo said the announcement by the minister was inappropriate because in every chiefdom, the Indunas had always been involved in the distribution of land as they were the first point of contact.
He observed that with such a clause, the Draft Land Policy was once again likely to be rejected by the House of Chiefs.
“We don’t need orders from Government on how to give out traditional land by the government. We have got a way of giving out land amongst ourselves and we don’t get instructions from Government.
“When one is looking for land, they don’t go straight to the chief, but they pass through the Indunas first. There is no land that is given out without Indunas and we don’t work with percentages, so I don’t think it’s appropriate for Government to give chiefs such conditions,” Chief Chipepo said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kafumbo said information reaching the party was that some foreign nationals were applying for Zambian land ownership in their company names.
“This is unacceptable”!!! Mr Kafumbo said
Mr Kafumbo said land ownership applications should only be preserved for Zambians and foreign entities must apply for leasehold to Zambians through the commissioner of lands at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Mr Kafumbo urged the Commissioner of Lands to be guided that Zambian’s land should be preserved for future generations coming after us.