Ten of the 40 GIMNKANA squatters have been sent to Prison for 12 months for contempt of Court by a Chingola magistrate after they allegedly defied a court order to vacate the land owned by a Chingola Veterinary Doctor EMMANUEL CHITAMBALA.
This was after they encroached on 30 of the 105 hectares of land allocated to Mr. CHITAMBALA in Chingola and repeatedly ignored a court order to vacate the land.
Meanwhile the remaining squatters have up to today to vacate their properties on the piece of land in Bupalo ward of Chingola or face imprisonment.
And the Families of the jailed squatters have pleaded with President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA to intervene in the matter.
ZNBC’s Chembe Mbale reports that the 30 families who converged at the office of the Chingola District Commissioner after ten of their colleagues were sent to Prison said they were given the land in 2014 by the former regime.
One of the affected squatters, NATHAN LENGWE pleaded with President HICHILEMA to intervene to ensure that the ten are released because their incarceration is regrettable, and children are suffering.
And JULIENT MUSANTA said they have been living on the piece of land since 2014 and the Chingola Council has been promising to regularize their stay.
Meanwhile Chingola Mayor JOHNSTONE KANGO’MBE said the circumstances surrounding the incarceration of the ten squatters are not only sad but also inhuman.
He said it is unfortunate that the court order has been enforced despite the Council engaging the owner of the land and offering him alternative land to allow the 40 families to stay in their already built structures.
Earlier UPND Chingola District Chairman SCRIVENER BWALYA said the party is saddened by the development.
Mr. BWALYA said it is sad that despite the owner of the land being offered alternative land he has refused to allow the squatters stay and instead opted to let them go to jail.
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