By CHUSA SICHONE –

LANDS Deputy Minister Davies Mwango says no genuine squatters have been displaced following the de-gazetting of Kamaila Forestry area into plots in Katuba Constituency.
Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) Katuba Member of Parliament Jonas Shakafuswa has also disputed the displacement allegations.
Mr Mwango and Mr Shakafuswa said in separate interviews with the Sunday Times that those claiming to have been displaced had acquired the plots through dubious means.
Mr Mwango said a social survey was conducted in the area during the de-gazetting process which considered and spared all the settlers who had been living there for a long time and thus was not aware of those claiming to have been displaced in the process.
“What happened was we did a social survey which had taken into consideration the people who were squatting on the land. The plan is out and part of the land was given to Chisamba District Council.
“However, those that knew that Government had started de-gazetting the land started putting up fences and other structures on areas where they were not supposed to,” he said.
Mr Mwango said the land in question was initially a forestry area before being de-gazetted into plots for human settlement and thus all the settlers were illegally on the land before it was de-gazetted.
He, however, said the villagers were spared from eviction purely on humanitarian grounds, especially that most of them had been living there for many years.
Mr Mwango urged those claiming to have been displaced after the land was de-gazetted to follow the proper procedure by applying for the land.
Mr Shakafuswa said he was also not aware of the people who had been displaced in preference for foreigners as what he knew was that the villagers were not tampered with after the social survey and de-gazetting process.
“Villagers have not been touched. The ones who have been touched are those who were buying land from illegal land dealers,” he said.
Mr Shakafuswa observed that some people were claiming to have acquired land from traditional leaders, while others from the Ministry of Lands.
The Katuba lawmaker said it was against the Forestry Act for anyone to give land in a forest and urged those who were aggrieved to engage him.
Remarks by the duo come in the wake of allegations by Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) governance advisor Isaac Mwanza that displacement of indigenous settlers in Kamaila is looming following the advertisement of plots in that area.
Mr Mwanza alleged that the Kamaila indigenous settlers were on the verge of being displaced as the advertised plots were being sold to foreigners and some officials from the Ministry of Lands.