By Memory Nyambe
Government has with immediate effect halted Construction works at the contentious Forest reserve 27 in Lusaka to pave way for an extensive audit on how the plots in question were acquired.
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Elijah Muchima says it is astonishing to note how much of the forest reserve has so far been taken up and the damage it has caused on the water recharge area.
He adds that the new dawn government will live up to its campaign promises and bring sanity in the acquisition of land.
And Local Government and Rural Development, Minister Gary Nkombo is dismayed with the high levels of impunity at which the disbursement of land was done among some named senior Government officials.
Meanwhile, head of Chalimbana Conservation Trust Robert Chimambo has called on the new ministers to ensure that they correct the illegality that is openly taking a toll in the reserve forest.
The ministers were speaking when they toured the forest reserve to ascertain the extent of excision taken.
In 2009, the forest reserve 27 had 1759 hectares of which the area has had three excisions, leaving only 716 hectares of the water recharge land.
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