. Kawandami

By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

GOVERNMENT has de-gazetted 6,000 hectares of forest reserve in Kaniki area in Ndola to be allocated to small-scale farmers of Kaniki.

Chifubu Member of Parliament Susane Kawandami said during a Ndola City Council programme on Radio Ichengelo On Tuesday that 6,000 hectares of forest reserve had been de-gazetted for farm use.

Ms Kawandami, who is Deputy Minister for Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, said a head count was done of vulnerable farmers in Kaniki who were squatting in the forest reserve and 6,000 hectares had been de-gazetted for their use.

“A list was put up of the vulnerable farmers that have been squatting in the forest reserve in Kaniki area and that is the list that will be followed to allocate them farm plots,” she said.

Ms Kawandami said the farmers would be required to pay K350 to get three hectares of land each.

The money that the farmers were required to pay, Ms Kawandami said, was for provision of social amenities like a health centre.

She said those that did not appear on the list should not pay for the land or even apply because the list was put up after the small-scale farmers needing land were identified.

Ms Kawandami also urged people not to live in forest reserves illegally because Government was not able to provide social services for them there.

She said she was hopeful that the farmers that would be allocated the farm land, would improve their living standards and positively contribute to the economy of Zambia.

Ms Kawandami said Government was also in negotiations with a Chinese company that wanted to set up a copper mine in her constituency along the Ndola-Mufulira Road.

Once that company was established, many jobs would be created for the people in the constituency.