|
The Gecko
The action can
only be described as heartless : why should a house which has been
completed, with all the works and fittings, be demolished.
But this is
what has been going on and will be the order of the day for some
time to come.
Houses, built
from the hard earnings of individuals. Homes built from life
savings, pensions are being reduced to rubble all because city
authorities here and there say they are unplanned.
Who is to
blame for the mess that this country has gotten itself into?
Why should
people be left to build houses only to have them pulled down on
account that they are illegally constructed?
Something is
very wrong somewhere and needs correcting because the issue of land
is very sensitive.
Wars have been
fought over land; revolts have risen like the famous French
revolution of 1789 which centered on Liberty, Equality and
Fraternity.
But anyone
will tell you that the French revolution was all about land. The
landed gentry or nobility had masses upon masses of land, while the
rest lived in perpetual penury because they toiled the land for
them.
More recent
examples are closer to home and Zimbabwe is a perfect example.
The country is
where it is today, because of the land redistribution exercise in
which land was grabbed from hundreds of white people.
There is so
much land in Zambia and much of it uninhabited. But in spite of all
this land, Zambians find themselves crammed together.
Zambia is not
as over populated as India where people fight over a pile of rocks
that pass for land.
There is
enough land here to go around.
This is why
this demolition exercise going on needs to be revisited.
In as much as
it should be appreciated that there are rules and regulations
covering ownership of land, there is a need to investigate why
people are building on land that is not theirs.
If it is the
politician, the councilor or some crook trying to make a fast buck
who is issuing land illegally, then the law need to visit such a
one.
Those who are
building these illegal structures know who gave them that piece of
land and this is the person who needs to be stopped.
To wait for
one to build a home and then have it razed to the ground is a
sadistic action.
Where were the
councils when these homes are being built?
Is there no
inspectorate in the councils to go round the city and the townships
to ensure that things are in order.
Where are the
councilors who live in these neighbourhoods, seeing these illegal
structures coming up and doing nothing about it?
The Ministry
of Local Government should not pass the buck to the councils, which
it monitors.
It is true
that land in any given area is tenured in part by the council, the
Commissioner of Lands and traditional leaders.
All these
players have the right to give title to any prospective person
wishing to acquire land.
However it
appears that, it is the land within the city limit that has became
much sought after.
There is a
problem and it must be sorted out. The people need land on which to
build homes and this is their right : a right to own a house.
But they are
being denied this.
They are being
held at ransom.
Everyone has
heard of the scandals in the Ministry of Lands and how that Ministry
is being given the shake down to rout out the graft.
Those charged
with the responsibility of issuing land must be above the corruption
that we see so rampant today.
Who can
justify having four to five plots when others have nothing?
Buying and
reselling the same piece of land should not be a business to
encourage and those in it must be stopped.
The fact that
Zambians are building is reflective of many things. On the economic
front, it shows that they have money and want to invest it wisely.
It may also
mean that housing has became expensive and everyone is building to
avoid the irrational rentals.
Whatever the
reason for this sudden rise for home ownership, one thing is clear :
authorities must rise to the challenge of ensuring that those who
want to build, are given title to land.
It is a
callous act to wait for one to build and then move in to knock the
whole structure down.
However it is
also important to remind Zambians to be cautious and mindful of the
law and to remember : ‘that wherever you build, ensure this is done
on land that is given legally to you.”
|
April
2007