UPND BENEFITED FROM FOREST 27 THAT’S WHY THEY CAN’T DEMOLISH – FDD
Opposition Forum for Democracy and Development – FDD have charged that intensions by the new regime to re-gazette Lusaka’s Forest 27 is a cover-up to legalise their developments in the area.
While on a recent fact finding tour, Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Elijah Muchima, who was in the Companny of Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Garry Nkombo, announced government’s intensions to re-gazette the area.
But FDD Information and Publicity Secretary, Caesar Liteta, points out that prominent and politically connected persons from previous governments, including the current regime UPND are beneficiaries of pieces of land in Forest 27.
Liteta accuses Muchima of contracting himself after indicating that government is investigating how developers acquired land in Forest 27 after also recently saying that they are weary of possible litigation in the courts of law should they go ahead.
He notes that historically, Forest 27 had an area covering 1, 750 hactres and according to Muchima, only 281 hectares has remained.
Liteta questions if there will be any remaining hectares to talk about by the end of the UPND era going by what he describes as arrogance and disrespect for government pronouncements by its cadres.
Forest number 27 is a ground water recharge area and also feeds the river systems in the chalimbana sub-catchment.