Government says it will only give 1,000 hectares of land to Jan Wessy Jacob Boatha, an investor who was allegedly given 20,000 hectares of land by Chief Kaindu of Mumbwa district in Central province for the purpose of game ranching.
And Chief Kaindu has denied receiving K50 Million down payment from the K500 Million cost of the land that extends across Kafue river allegedly sold to Mr Boatha.
Central Province Permanent Secretary Edwin ZUMBUNU told ZANIS in Kabwe yesterday that government could not give a huge chunk of land amounting to 20,000 hectares to one person because this was too much.
Mr Zumbunu said out of the 20,00 hectares the investor required, only 1,000 hectares will be offered to him while 19, 000 hectares will be given back to the people in the area so that they could continue with their life set up.
He further explained that after consultations and verifications, part of the land would be given back to the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to also continue managing wild life.
Mr Zumbunu pointed out that 1, 000ha would be big enough for Mr Boatha to keep wild animals and allow the other part be used by the local people for cultivation and other activities.
And Chief Kaindu said it was not true that he was given K50 Million by Mr Boatha as down payment from the alleged K500 Million cost of the 20,000ha of land.
Chief Kaindu told ZANIS that the matter was exaggerated by a Ward Councilor in his chiefdom who allegedly instigated villagers to protest and petition government through the then Mumbwa District Commissioner Lemmy Chibuye.
Chief Kaindu who was accompanied by Mumbwa District Commissioner Sunday Shamabanse, accused the named Ward Councilor of trying to cause confusion by making unsubstantiated allegations.
He said Mr Boatha was in fact just interested in working with the Mpusu community by providing funds for developmental community based projects which would ease people lives in the chiefdom.
“Boatha want to assist with funds for development in my area which he would deposit in a development account. This money would not be given to me, I will not even see this money because it will go straight into an account to which I will be a signatory,’ Explained Chief Kaindu.
But in November last year, Mpusu villagers complained to government that Chief Kaindu was allegedly selling land without consulting his subjects.
The villagers were concerned because the size of the land in question which they said extended across Kafue river and included part of the game management area.
ZANIS
Well done PF, GRZ……that is too much for such a so called investor…….the locals need to be protected from such self human beings……well done again
Well done PF, GRZ……that is too much for such a so called investor…….the locals need to be protected from such selfish human beings……well done again
Very funny leaders. How can a Chief sell such a big junk of land for K500 million??? This is a good indication that many chiefs are truely poor and ignorant. Wake you Chiefs the land you own belongs to future generations as well. Avoid being so selfish and short sighted. No wonder you were in the forefront during slavery days selling your own subjects for bottles of beer. Wake up??
Good move by GRZ. Also this muzungu needs to present a business plan to GRZ which he should stick to. He should not be allowed to sell the land too. What would have stopped the man from leasing to other people at high cost. We need more genuine investors and not the type that want to come in through the back door.
“This money would not be given to me, I will not even see this money because it will go straight into an account to which I will be a signatory,’ Explained Chief Kaindu. THE FACT THAT THE CHIEF WILL BE A SIGNATORY IS AN INDICATION THAT HE WILL BE FREE TO WITHDRAW MONEY AT WILL JUST LIKE ZAMTROP ACCOUNT WAS ABUSED. THE CHIEF HAD ALREADY GIVEN LAND AWAY TO THE MUZUNGU THAT IS WHY ONE STATEMENT SAYS LAND WILL BE GIVEN BACK TO ZAWA. THESE CHIEFS ARE DANGEROUS AND SOPHISTICATED AND THEY LIKE EASY MONEY.
Good afternoon
I though land allocation was strictly a matter for the Ministry of Lands and Natural resources? How come these chiefs are also allowed to sell it? There is need for a certain law to protect state integrity in land issues without demeaning the local authority of our traditional rulers.
We might have land en masse but 20,000 hactares is simply too much for a single investor! Take a look at the Middle East and see how valuable land can be!
In zed mate there is land owned by GRZ and the chiefs. Chief land cannot be touched by GRZÂ
Chiefs can give land in their chiefdoms. Just the other week, a chief in Central Province gave 250 hectares to Kennedy Mweene in appreciation of his contribution to the team at AFCON 2012.
read: I thought…
Chiefs can allocate traditional land, but titles deeds for the same are done through the ministry of local government.
This investor should have seen Chief Kanyensha.Just ask Kennedy Mweene.
Foreign investors should only be given title to land for 20 or 30 years not 99 years like we citizens. Zambia is the only country that still has (colonial) laws that discriminate against its citizens. No wonder they can bribe us with a kama 50 million and get a national park.
We are busy exporting electricity and when something goes wrong at our power stations, it is we the citizens who suffer the load shedding, while the foreign mining companies continue getting eletricity.
We voted PF to sort out this kind of non-sense because MMD were busy selling the country. Were is Inonge Wina and her ministry of chiefs? 20 year title, not 99 years for foreigners please
They should not be given land at all, but lease land to them year to year for as long as their intended use remains beneficial to the local people. The moment the undertaking stops accruing benefits to the locals, end the lease. That’s how you keep control. Please don’t sell our Zambia. When I become president, I will terminate all leases and re-issue them based on their productivity and benefit to my people.
Elsewhere in the world land is the most precious asset but in Zambia anybody, party cadres, William Banda, chiefs, RB can dish it out to so called investors with impunity. We need a GRZ that will instill sanity in matters involving land.
Ignorance and poverty. The guy was going to strike gold. Land delianatiön pa Zambia is complicated. There is customary land under Chiefs and State land. The chiefs and councils are allowed to give up to 250ha to and individual. But then the actual title deed for 99year leasehold must be issued by ministry of lands. This means customary land is converted to state land and the process is not reversible.
both ka  theft and pf both of you  playing idio,ts …idiooooooooooooots pathetic fulls
One day these so-called investors will turn around and tell you “there were no people here when we came!” when you will be scrambling to try to get your land back. There is currently unnerving scenarios unfolding in the world around land so we had better tighten our regulations or we will be eternally sorry. The colonialism that is coming will be very hard to break if we allow it! Do not say you were not warned.
To get land in Zambia without ‘Porter’s Diamond’ is nonsensical and ignorant of anyone to accept it
Let us be honest I can probably get and in Lusaka for merely £5 000. Point is Zambian land is nothing to be salivating about and 20,000 Ha or be it a million hectares I would care less. In fact I would give you that if you put a full tank in my Nissan Micra
Why would this South African (I take because of his surname) want that land anyway? Go get 2 Hectares in South Africa It will equate to 500 000 hectares in Zambia
Nothing nice about zambia, collectively they are nice people but Individually men there are hypocritical, greedy, violent, malevolent, vengeful, cowardly, deadly, mendacious, meretricious, loathsome, despicable, stay away
Thanks
Mushota, are you a REAL ZAMBIAN, or just some DISGUSTINGLY ARROGANT FOREIGNER PRETENDING to be Zambian by ASSUMING A FAKE ZAMBIAN NAME? If you’re happy with those white dicks that you suck day and night, STOP INSULTING US! If you have nothing CONSTRUCTIVE to say about our Beloved Country, JUST SHUT UP! (AND I mean you shut up BOTH of your open ends, up AND down!)
What a shame! I have never seen anyone brag about a Nissan Micra are you kidding me? Nissan Micra? Even if I was offered a free brand new Nissan Micra I wouldn’t accept it. It’s for old people or first time buyers it’s a well known fact in the U.K and to braggadocio about it is just plain embarrassing.
Stupid bitch just shut your mouth! Bragging about Nissan Micra, anyway imwe mahule ni so che, that is what you can afford considering the work you do!
What? I am not a racist, but surely this Boer or anybody else cannot be given such a large piece of land. Next he will be trying to take over the Kafue National Park as his first game ranch, and next Zambia as his next game ranch!
Good by grz, am an an engineer on A project, in mumbwa and that has been the cry of people.this boer even effects arbitrary arrests to people within police conscent.he is bad man
@ Mulenga and Jelita  how can you give investors land for only 20 to 30 years and you still want them to invest millions of dollars into the land , as for grz well done to crazy that they wanted to sell 20ha …..mr. botha must have thought it was the bargain of centuryÂ
ZAMBIANS, SOME TIMES WE ARE SO SLEEPY, HOW CAN A CHIEF GIVE ALL THIS LAND TO AN AFRIKAANER??THESE CHIEFS SHOULD BE ADVISED. We THEIR OWN CHILDREN WOULD NOT BE GIVEN SUCH LAND. THANK YOU GOVERNMENT. I CAN ALSO PAY 20M being Zambian for 1000 hectares.
@9 Mulenga & Jelita, you are right, we should have maximum of 30yrs for Foreigners. IFIMANO IFYAKUSHITISHA LAND, FILALETELELA.
#14 Mushota mano, I support you on this one, all investors including ka Mushota’s sperm-donor STAY AWAY from Zambia. It is a pity that you were brought up by a single mother, how can you call men with such names?
Investigate him (Kaindu). How can he give land for free. Where will this invester get game animals to stock in, if not captured from nearby Kafue national park??
This is ridiculous – Even 20000 hectres is too much for a foreigner. That is the size of 1/4 of greater London. I hope our learned country men responsible for our new constitution draft should account of this important issue. I am even suprised that our chiefs should have powers to handout land as they see it fit.
meant they should take account of this important issue
Copper bullet. The 20 or 30 year period allows you to check on the progress the foreigners are making and whether they are using the land as specified when it was purchased. As the owners of our country we should not be apologetic to anyone. Are you just another “Muzungu anikonde” imbecile like this uneducated chief who sold his birth right for a pot of beans?
Wow 500million about £62,500 for nearly 50,000 (49419.323) acres that would have been a give away price. Well done PF for intervening.
I argue you people to watch the documentary “When China met Africa” in it the then minister of commerce on his investment  tour of China had a chief in his entourage who was offering his land to investors; all paper work and transactions done on the spot in China.
Really disgusting them giving away their grand grand children’s land over a cup of tea and brown envelopes.
This is a good decision by PF. This sort of nonsense must stop where Chiefs frequently confuse their role of being custodians of traditional land wih being OWNERS of the land. Credit must be given when something good happens. With all the negative stuff I write about PF government, this is a great decision and bravo to them. One feels happy when the govt is acting sensibly. If only these decisions can be consistent, then surely PF would remain in power until they start messing up like MMD had started messing up. Good one!
When I tell you that 90% of zambian land is customery land, and GRZ needs to consult all stakeholders e.g in re-alignement of districts, you refuse. You PF guys read documents not just refusing the truth without facts. Even those Chiefs in Chirundu and Itezhi-tezhi had the right to refuse GRZ move as chiefs and their subjects own land.
@ Mulenga and Jelita there is a big difference between ownership of for 20-30 years and checks , I refer to the case of legacy where the government gave them a 99 lease on the land but revoked it after 3 years as they had not seen any major development on site….all GRZ has to do is pay back what ever money they invested for services on the land.
The legacy case you refer to was an extreme case because most investors do get to something on the land procured and it therefore does not invalidate my point. The 20 or 30 year period not only serves as a point in time to review progress, but serves as a constant reminder to the investor that this is not their country. Zambia for Zambians – we should not have what is ours served on the same platform as foreigners. There are very few countries that give title to land for investment on the same level as their nationals. If you have an inferiority complex and in your house you reserve the best food and plates for visitors, please do not expect everyone to follow suit. Those days are gone. In foreign countries, we are treated as foreigners – I refuse to treat foreigners like kings and queens
GRZ extend the fight against corruption to Chiefs, this is abuse at its highest order
According to our own government as stated at an investor’s conference I attended in Lindon a few years ago…45% of Africa’s water resource lies within our borders. Let us value what we have and work towards exploiting it for the future generations of our country. A Reuteurs journalist posed the question – do you not think future wars will be fought over wate? That made me think even though the answer was dismissive. Protect our future.
I meant London not Lindon :) damn phone typing…
Guys, 1,000 hectares to a foreigner is sooooooo much land. Tell me what is the average land size owned by an ordinary Zambian. I d say , 20X30M, and you guys are dishing out 1,000 ha for free! My God. Im going to Barotseland, where such a thing could never be allowed.
There should be rules governing the behaviour of Chiefs. Their powers should be curtailed. This deal reeks of corruption. There is obviously some bastard who introduced this fellow to the chief. Such characters should not get away unpunished. This is similar to Chipoya’s behaviour and should not be encouraged. If I had the power I would have sent that ‘investor’ (or is it infester) parking.We do not need such opportunists.
How about subjects who are not protesting to such decisions by selfish Chiefs.
The CHIEFS equation need to be multiplied by 0
What if I want 1000 hacters will the govt give me? Or if i go to south africa to ask for 1000 hectares will they give me? Absolutely not. So why should we be giving land to foreigners at all? That game reserve can be managed by locals or govt.
Patia huyu mzungu hiyo shamba sababu ataweza kufanya kazi zaidi na kuzalisha mali.Wazambia wamekalia mashamba hayo milele na hawajafanya lolote sababu ni wavivu sana.Hebu tembea kwa
miji wanapoishi wazambia utaona uvivu wao- uchafu kila mahali,vumbi,takataka zilizokaa muda mrefu,vyoo zinazoleta cholera na hata nyumba zao hawafanyi maintenance.Kazi yao ni kutaka vya bure na kunywa pombe za chibuku na tujilijili.Leta wazungu zaidi sababu wazambia wanapenda uvivu sana.
That land in question is just next to kafue national park and what would stop that muzungu from stealing our wild animals to his ranch, its better to give these people land where there are no animals nearby..even local people can do this kind of business.When these ranchers are given land they ill treat the locals like what is happening at mabula game ranching in livingstone where they prefer foreign visitors to their ranch, local tourists are denied access.
This is why I always contend that land must never be administered by these traditional chiefs. Land in a Republic belongs to the state not Chiefs!!!! I urge gvt to abolish this Chief nonsense just like in any other republic, the DRC. Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and rest. Chiefs in South Africa are only traditional stooges not administrators of Land…!
read about this same thing in Uganda were locals are denied of this opportunity to invest in their own. what has trully gotten into these people heads kanshi?
@#36 Mzambia wa zamani: Naweza kubaliana na wewe kwa asilimia 90% lakini wewe ni Mzambia kweli?
Tonga chiefs are corrupt, no wonder they are against the re-alignment of districts fearing that the land will be taken away from them. What in the world can one give 20,000 hecters to one investor? We thank the PF government for interverning. This is what we are telling you guys, where is HH on this?
@Mushota #14 seems you were dumped by a Zambian dude. Sorry girl maybe you are not up to scratch if you know what i mean. You boast about your car as if it is an achievement to buy one hese days.
It shouldn’t matter whether a person is a foreigner or not. The land has a value and it should be purchased at its true value be it from a foreigner or a native Zambian. I don’t understand why some of you are so shocked that foreigners are able to buy large tracts of land and are suggesting that they should only be given 20 year leases. Why? If a Zambian has the right to a 99year lease so should a foreigner. What matters is that there is equal opportunity for all, not what nationality a person is. You as Zambians can go to the UK or the US and buy as much land as you want and no one will stop you as long as you pay for it. Any one should be able to get land as long as they can pay for it, better that the land be productively used rather than lay fallow!
I can smell your naivity and stupi+dity from where I am. It is not just about money fo=ol. It is about protecting the interests of poor and therefore vunerable Zambian citizens who may not have as much money as some foreigners have. You are no better than that imbecile of a chief who thinks money is everything.
Come and apply for land in the UK as a foreinger see who will even sell it to you. Priority should be to zameigners should lease not buy land in zedbians first. in fact the for
 @Thoughts at it again….. do you honestly think if the market is opened up to the highest foreign bidder your grand children will ever own land or Civil Servants will be able to afford land, in the West you talk of, there are bazungus who buy neighbouring property or land to their property so an outsider doesn’t buy it and they will stand up together to outbid you if they have to. Why?? The know how important property and land is to their future.
You know nothing about the world we live in you just read books and assume likewise. Â
we applied for land as zambians in the diaspora at our embassies and yet a foreigner can be givern 1000 hecters. Zambian govt is this fair surely? We wan land when do we want no!!!!! naife tichekelani ko..
#30 “According to our own government as stated at an investor’s conference I attended in Lindon a few years ago…45% of Africa’s water resource lies within our borders…” NOT 45% of Africa’s. BUT 45% of SOUTHERN AFRICA’s…
#41 I THOUGHT HH WAS GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS CHIEF. WHY IS HE KEEPING QUIET? IS IT BECAUSE IT WAS MORE MONEY IN THIS CHIEF’S POCKETS?
#43, ON WHICH PLANET ARE YOU? THAT CAN’T HAPPEN IN THE UK TO BAR ONE (ESPECIALLY A FOREIGNER) FROM ACQUIRING A COUNTRY WITHIN A COUNTRY.
ON #48 NOT “..TO BAR..”, BUT …LAWS WILL BAR ONE(…) FROM ACQUIRING…
There has to be something standing between chiefs and these ‘foreign investors’. Land can not just be given away for:
” providing funds for developmental community based projects which would ease people lives in the chiefdom. ”
On top of that, what is the value of the land, and what is the value of these ‘projects’?
@#40 Cheesy Hahaha,Ndugu mimi sina lingine bali kujiita mzambia.Ingawa mama yangu ametoka Iringa kwa mila zetu sisi tunafuata ukoo wa baba zetu.Baba yangu ametoka Chinsali,Zambia kwa hivyo mimi ni Mzambia halisi ingawa sijaishi kule kwa muda.Sisi wazambia ni kweli tuna uvivu sana na sijui nini dawa yetu.
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