- Government warns over Chingola demolitions
CHOMBA MUSIKA
ESTHER NG’ANGU
Lusaka, Kitwe
GOVERNMENT has given the Chingola local authority 24 hours to issue a report on the demolition of several houses in Kasompe Airstrip, saying that displacing families during the rainy season has negatively impacted their livelihoods.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Gift Sialubalo warned that all those found wanting in the illegal allocation of land and demolition of houses without following due process will be brought to book, warning that “heads will roll”.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka last evening, Mr Sialubalo said Government is concerned that the exercise was not even discussed in a council meeting at Chingola Municipal Council.
He added that the demolition was carried out without the required consultative process, in which the local authority should have engaged stakeholders, including the affected families.
“While preliminary findings indicate that the land in question belongs to the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority, even though the structures were erected with planning permission from the local authority, the demolition exercise lacked consultation,” Mr Sialubalo said.
He announced that Government has launched a thorough investigation into the land allocation and approval of building permits, saying this will help identify gaps in the implementation process and strengthen future decisions.
“We are working with different stakeholders, including Chingola Member of Parliament and Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga, to secure alternative land for the affected families,” he said.
At the same briefing, Mr Mulenga assured the families of Government’s support to ensure they receive fair treatment.
A total of 10 structures believed to have been illegally built on the army firing range in Chingola’s Kasompe area were on Monday demolished.
