By MARISA MWAPE –

SOME Mindolo North residents, who were not part of the group that was at the transit site after their houses were demolished, have appealed to Kitwe City Council (KCC) and the Government to also offer them alternative plots.
In May this year KCC demolished houses which were built on illegally acquired land prompting the Disaster Management and Mitigating Unit (DMMU) under the Vice-President’s Office to offer humanitarian aid to the affected families.
The DMMU offered aid to more than 200 affected families by putting up tents at Helen Kaunda Secondary School grounds as a transit place.
It is those that were accommodated at the transit place that the local authority offered alternative land in Kitwe East across the Kafue River two weeks ago.
One of the residents who did not benefit from the offer, Mary Kapembwa said from the 600 houses that were demolished, only 225 plots were allocated as alternative land.
Ms Kapembwa said she had not been offered an alternative plot and that she spent money in constructing the house which was demolished.
“I have nowhere to go with my children, I bought that plot at more than K9,000, but I was surprised that I have not been offered alternative land,” she said amid sobs.
Ms Kapembwa said she was currently squatting with her relatives.
Another resident Matthews Katuta said he acquired a loan to construct the structure that was demolished and he was still servicing the same loan.
Mr Katuta said it would have been better for the KCC to offer alternative land to everyone whose house was demolished.
Kitwe Mayor Kelvin Sinyangwe said the plots were allocated to those who had registered their names with the Red Cross at the temporary site at Helen Kaunda.
Mr Sinyangwe said the council was working with DMMU and the Red Cross to come up with a list of a genuine number of people to offer alternative land.
“As the council, we are not going to allow people to get plots anyhow, the entire nation may come and claim for plots, we will never tolerate illegality,” he said.