—Zambia compound residents reject school offer

Zambia compound residents reject school offer

Solwezi, March 15, 2013, ZANIS…..Residents of Zambia compound in Solwezi have rejected the intention of government to build a school in the area.

The residents fear that they will be displaced from the land which they are illegally occupying.

District commissioner Crispin Likando confirmed the development to ZANIS in Solwezi today.

The residents have meanwhile vowed that they will not allow the ministry of education to go ahead and construct the school on the designated plot at the expense of their settlement.

They have also maintained that a school is no longer a priority in the area and asked government to look for another plot for the structure.

The district commissioner who visited the compound yesterday said the people who are refusing the construction of a school infrastructure are those that have illegally settled on the designated plot for the ministry of education.

Mr Likando explained that the piece of land in question was allocated to the ministry of education in 2010 for the construction of a primary school in the area but due to delayed funding the project could not commence.

He said residents took advantage of this delay in funding the project and built houses on the school plot.

Mr Likando said the ministry of education has approved the school project this year and the construction will go ahead after consultations with other stakeholders on the possibility of building in another location.

Zambia compound has no school in the area forcing children to walk long distances to a nearby school in Kimasala compound about 6 kilometers away.   

Area councilor Dickson Chitambala said he will engage the council over the matter and consider providing alternative land for the school structure as most of the squatters are old and vulnerable and therefore relocating them would pose a challenge.