Chipata residents demands compensation

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Chipata residents demands compensation

Chipata, May 31, ZANIS ——Chipata residents have demanded for compensation from Chipata Municipal council for failure to avail them land that was allocated to them two years ago.

The residents some of whom sought anonymity said they have not been able to access land that was allocated to them three years ago because their plots were encroached by illegal settlers who had already built houses on their plots.

They stated that some people were even cultivating on their plots.

They accused the council of being adamant to resolve the issue saying about 200 people paid over KR400 each for the acquisition of plots though the council has not serviced the area with roads among others.

They wondered why the council allocated land that was not yet serviced saying they should not have done so because they had delayed their plans to construct houses.

“They were supposed to use the money we paid to service the areas and make them accessible to us, the people who wanted to build. But up to now, things have not been put in place and some of us have ended up using the money we had saved to build houses for other things,” they stated.

One of the residents Samuel Banda who said that the council had promised to avail the plots after this year’s harvest said the council will have to refund their monies if they will still not be able to
access their land after the harvest.

Mr Banda observed that people who were cultivating in marshlands where he acquired a low cost plot were chasing the people who acquired the plots through the council.

But Chipata Municipal Council Chief Town Planner, Hurst Jengajenga said the council allocated the plots in un serviced areas in order to raise funds.

Mr Jengajenga said illegal developers were cultivating and constructing in the area.

He said the council had a challenge of opening up the area due to lack of resources and stated the local authority recently acquired equipment to construct roads to service the area.

He added that the local authority procured equipment to open up the area saying they were currently waiting for the illegal settlers to harvest the fields.