The Christian Faith Misson Centre has said the planned move by Government to demolish illegal structures would cause trauma, psychological effects to people whose structures would be razed down.
The Church has since asked President Mwanawasa to prevail over this decision to avoid anarch in the country.
In a Statement to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Founder President Pastor Peter Chanda said
this would also create confusion, enmity and discontent between Government and the
Zambian people whose structures would be pulled down.
Pastor Chanda described the intended move as a recipe for anarchy adding that people
would not allow Government through the State machinery to harm innocent citizens.
The clergyman questioned why the local authority did not move in at the time they
saw people possessing illegal plots and only to clamp down on them after they had
already put up structures.
Pastor Chanda recalled a number of instances when some citizens complained about
illegal allocation of land but wondered why Government had remained mute over the
matter.
He noted that the MMD Government was a Government of rules and laws saying
demolishing people’s structures at this hour would be retrogressive and criminal.
He said two wrongs could not make a right and urged Government to rescind its
decision.
On Wednesday, Chief Government Spokesperson Vernon Mwaanga who is also Information
Minister at a Press briefing announced that Government would demolish unplanned
settlements throughout the country. Lusaka City Council has since swung into
action demolishing over 100 illegal structures in Kalikiliki township yesterday. A
similar exercise took place in Solwezi.
Meanwhile Pastor Chanda has appealed to Government to allow a deliberate policy for
vendors to sell in the evening from 17:00 to 19:00 hours when people knock off from
work to afford them a chance to earn an income.
He said Government must empower its citizens by allowing them to trade and to earn a
living hence leading a decent life.
I’s time the govt brought sanity to the city.
let them destroy all illegal houses that are making
lusaka look like a big village.We need our city to look clean so that we can be proud of it. Shant compounds
too should be demolished.settle these people somewhere,
the govt should instead built flats because this creates alot of space and order.We done govt, i hope this work goes all the way to all parts of Zambia.
proud zambian.
England, Peter Mwale.
I say: that for one person living abroad to agree with government on issues of demolition of Illigal structures is unfortunate.If you were the victim,would you still have thought its right?I think this act is not any different from Mugabe’s actions.Why did govt wait this long?Is it because the elections are over and they have won?Having said this,i do not neccesarily say its good to possess illegal land.Where was the govt in the first place.To let a pensioner who has worked so many yrs loose all their savings that were in those structures and later on homeless is unfair.Govt should bring the illegal land allocators to book because they are the source of this problem.This demolition act will only increase the rate of crime and poverty in the already poor country.I hope govt will resolve this problem without having to create another.
Concerned Zambian,
England.
It is so amazing to see how people are so quick to comment on matters of life and death without first thinking twice before they can comment. You dont bring sanity to the city by creating more hardships to the aready vulnerable people who are just sacrificing their meager resource just for them to survive. We all want Lusaka to look decent but definately there is better way of doing this than the way goverment is handling the whole issue.People do not just work up and start puting up stracture. Why cant this goverment just accept that it has been sleepy and that they are the causer of all the mess. These are symptoms of a sick goverment and these things do happen in any country with a goverment that does not perform to standards. Politician are trying to avoid responbilities by victimizing the innocent Zambians. How many of these doubled tongued politicians talked about illegal stracturs in their campaign during elections.Hey people lets be reasonableand think like human beings.
Well lets just build another city ..like they did in Nigeria and left Lagos to the slams..how about that. Maybe somewhere near Kabwe. After all it’s more central than Lusaka
I could remember very well, this was during the last elections that the MMD Government was condeming the PF Micheal Sata when he was saying that he will demolish all the illegal structures in Lusaka. This word was used against PF by the MMD part and they are on record that the MMD Govrnment is a caring PART which looks after its people. To my surprise the same MMD Government is now demolishing the houses. Now one wonders,is it because the elections are now over so they can do what ever they want. They should bear in mind that 2011 is very near and people never forget. Just reconsider your demolition work plan otherwise it will work against you in future.
Surely the government’s position on this matter is commendable as far as restoring sanity in the garden city is concerned.
Indeed two wrongs can never make a right but we need to start somewhere. Yes, the process should have started a long time ago but this politics of patronage totally offset sanity in town planning in Lusaka and other towns country wide.
The Lusaka is made up slums in and out, it is very shameful when you travel around our neighboring countries and see how clean and well planned their cities are.
The Government must however workout a humane roadmap to mitigate the impact of demolitions country wide.
Viva right thinking.
From Mali.
For a person in England to support this action being taken by government, is extremly sad specially that you are aware of the housing charities available for the homeless, are you also saying for lusaka to look the way we want it to look we should kill or lock up the street Kids who like the people in the shanties are a product of our failures.Iam not ashamed of them as a matter of fact they are surviving against all odds.
Zimbabwe was a beautiful place but whilst they were sleeping Mugabe turned into an animal, at some point no one noticed he was turning into what he is today, lets not support injustice to poor people after all we are a christian nation in principle.
If most people had the same mentality that its alright to stay the way we’ve always been used to, would surely be a sad state of affairs.
Any right thinking person would not subscribe to such notion. As a nation embrace the progressive principle of continous improvement in all spheres of life. Those entrusted with planning duties country-wide should be allowed to do their jobs without interfence.
The country must be orderly arranged with all necessary services in place. But what is currently obtaining now is that before an area is serviced structures start mushrooming.
If order in land administration and town planning are restored it would be easier to control outbreaks of cholera every rain season.
Viva right thinking.
I can see a point in this but the idea of starting with Kalikiliki is suspicious and shows a lack of courage. We have to tolerate slums in one or two sections of our city providing its in an ‘designated’ area-and there’s little reason to believe Kalikiliki cant be such. This is consistent with our long term level of development. However, if the point is beauty, to leave all those ugly structures right in the CBD and Kamwala area which truly give us ‘Third World’ status and go to Kalikiliki, I just find that rather cowardly.
Let’s face the truth and learn to do things rightly.the question we should be asking ourselves is: what is rigth? and not who is right.building houses illigally is wrong.at present houses built illigally in the nigerian capital Abuja are being demolished and the rich and influencial are paying a very high cost cos they spent millions to acquire land illigally and built mansions but the wind of change is blowing against them and hence are paying the price.lets support the government to bring sanity to our country that is the only way we can hold our heads high as a civilised nation in the world community.i know it hard to see your house being pulled down,i do sympathize with those affected but are we going to continue living in a state where there is no respect for law and order?even christ obeyed law and order so who are we not to?
It really saddens me to see how as a country we would like to turn serious national issues into mere political debates without offering long lasting constructive direction.
The point being, what exactly would we like to see happening in our towns. Do we want planned residential areas or do we want unplanned ones.It does not matter what your social or economic background is, but doing things as required by law.It is painful to have your illegal structure pulled down but it is even more painful to all of us as Zambians to be having groups of people bringing up structures whereever they want and at whatever time. We need a zambia which is orderly, remember politicians will come and go but our Zambia will always be there.
I strongly believe we can always make effort to deliberately learn to do the right things for our communities and indeed for our country. More of actions that will be appreciated by many generations to come.
Again, if your point is to bring sanity to Lusaka, I simply dont appreciate what you’re achieving by going to Kalikiliki. You have to admit, the things that give Lusaka an ugly look are right in town, Misisi, Chawama, Kamwala, parts of Emmasdale, Mandevu and so on.
You have abit of kawama and other slums in Ndola but the main city looks generally well planned. Leave the poor Kalikiliki residents alone.
So let the LCC get its act together and clean up the uncollected garbage, sort the dysfunctional traffic lights, instal street lights and the plant trees to get rid of the dust over the place. Going to Kalikiliki is just an act of ‘scared, little men’.
B’oi kwena chishinka walanda. I think the houses in Kalikiliki were even mansions compared to the Misisi and Chibolya ones. Why have they left Misisi and Chibolya which are just a stone throw from the city center. Mr V.J Mwaanga tell me, maybe you have left them for fundraising .i.e when donors look at them they will feel pity and donate money which goes in ya pocket or tourist attration and you thought Kalikiliki was a competitor shanties. You guyz the MPs, you will find that one person has land more than the whole space which was occupied by 100 Kalikiliki houses. Why are you taking the LITTLE there having, and not from your 500 hectares. To be poor it’s not a sin LESA akamikanda. Your Gov have even fail to construct any flat even for street kids. Why are you happy when other suffers? I grew up in the ghetto it sweet know i/m out abroad. You guyz in the ghetto continue working and praying God will reward you like he did to me. OUR GOD IS A GOD OF WONDERS.