48 displaced families compensated

GOVERNMENT has released an undisclosed amount of money as compensation for the 48 families whose houses were demolished in Lusaka’s Chinika industrial area.
And the High Court has also revoked the title deed that was issued to Tenso Holding, which demolished the houses.
Minister of Local Government and Housing Stephen Kapyongo said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Government has resolved to facilitate the settlement of the 48 families within 14 days.
He said the squatters did not deserve to be compensated, but that Government decided to do so on humanitarian grounds.
“These 48 families were renting houses from the Lusaka City Council (LCC),” Mr Kampyongo said.
He said provisions will be made in settlement schemes for Chinika squatters who want to start farming.
Mr Kampyongo said the land will be leased to squatters at an affordable amount.

Mr Kapyongo said Government will investigate how the people who demolished the houses were given a title deed despite the land in question belonging to LCC.
“Unscrupulous characters took advantage and went to the Ministry of Lands where they presented the Chinika land as a bare piece of land and they got title deeds,” he said.
He said councils in Zambia have been losing land in corrupt ways and perpetrators have been left unpunished.
Mr Kampyongo said Government will do an audit of all municipality land in the country.
He warned that people who have acquired council land dubiously risk losing it and being prosecuted.

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