Catholic Diocese of Ndola Bishop Benjamin Phiri comments on the demolition of over 300 housing structures built on Kasompe Airstrip land in Chingola.
I was particularly saddened recently when I heard about what happened in Kasompe, Chingola. I was greatly saddened. I did not apportion blame but it is indeed a very sad event.
It is a collection of a series of bad decisions by various stakeholders. The first bad decision was by whoever apportioned land illegally, that was the first bad decision. The second bad decision was for those people who went to buy that land without the papers. That was also a bad decision. The third and concluding bad decision was by those who are responsible in the local authority to decide to erase more than 300 houses at the same time.
They should have consulted further. We should have sat down as stakeholders to find the best way forward. My challenge to you, the women and I know that some of the people in the local government are women; my challenge is when these illegal structures are being put up where are you?
You seem to wake up only when the structure has been finished. You should be able to observe when it is starting and that is what you are paid for. That is your job. For you to wake up only when people have built up and have lived there for many years then that is when you realise that actually they have built in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I think that if it was up to me I would start by punishing those for failing to do their work. For an illegality to happen it is because somebody did not do their work his or her somewhere and that is very sad. We hope that the Government is going to do everything possible to ensure that justice is done.
Jumping on board with the different organs of government to solve a problem which you have created yourself is not necessarily a merit; however, justice can still be done.
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