Land grabber injured at Katima Mulilo
One of the leaders of a group of alleged land grabbers at Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi Region on Thursday sustained injuries to his leg during a scuffle with police officers.
Mukendwa Mayumbelo allegedly attempted to stop a front-end loader from demolishing illegal structures. He was admitted to the Katima Mulilo State Hospital under police guard.
Speaking to Nampa from his hospital bed on Friday morning, Mayumbelo said he regretted the incident, but was quick to point out that they had no option but to block the demolition of their shacks.
“I know it is illegal to erect the structures there but we have no choice, because we have no place to stay,” he said.
The land grabbers reportedly turned violent, forcing the police to fire several warning shots into the air.
Mayumbelo and his friends were also arrested last month for illegally occupying land.
The Katima Mulilo town council had obtained eviction orders that were handed over to all those who had grabbed land around the town's informal settlements.
On Thursday the council, with assistance of the police, carried out the first demolitions.
Council CEO Raphael Liswaniso, who was also at the scene, told Nampa that the council had held several meetings with the land grabbers, pleading with them to desist from the illegal occupation of town land. Liswaniso said two weeks ago, land surveyors who had been sent to the area opposite the Chotto informal settlement were beaten by the same group.
He said the meetings with the land grabbers started during the time of his predecessor, but the community was still resisting.
The CEO said that left the council with no option but to approach the courts for assistance before forcibly removing the land grabbers.
Liswaniso said if the council did not take action the situation would worsen, as it had already escalated beyond control.
He said most of those guilty of grabbing land at the town were cattle herders from rural areas, while others were from Angola, Botswana and Zambia.
Liswaniso said the exercise would continue in all areas of Chotto, Dairy Compound, Mahohoma, New Cowboy, and Makaravan East and West.
NAMPA
Mukendwa Mayumbelo allegedly attempted to stop a front-end loader from demolishing illegal structures. He was admitted to the Katima Mulilo State Hospital under police guard.
Speaking to Nampa from his hospital bed on Friday morning, Mayumbelo said he regretted the incident, but was quick to point out that they had no option but to block the demolition of their shacks.
“I know it is illegal to erect the structures there but we have no choice, because we have no place to stay,” he said.
The land grabbers reportedly turned violent, forcing the police to fire several warning shots into the air.
Mayumbelo and his friends were also arrested last month for illegally occupying land.
The Katima Mulilo town council had obtained eviction orders that were handed over to all those who had grabbed land around the town's informal settlements.
On Thursday the council, with assistance of the police, carried out the first demolitions.
Council CEO Raphael Liswaniso, who was also at the scene, told Nampa that the council had held several meetings with the land grabbers, pleading with them to desist from the illegal occupation of town land. Liswaniso said two weeks ago, land surveyors who had been sent to the area opposite the Chotto informal settlement were beaten by the same group.
He said the meetings with the land grabbers started during the time of his predecessor, but the community was still resisting.
The CEO said that left the council with no option but to approach the courts for assistance before forcibly removing the land grabbers.
Liswaniso said if the council did not take action the situation would worsen, as it had already escalated beyond control.
He said most of those guilty of grabbing land at the town were cattle herders from rural areas, while others were from Angola, Botswana and Zambia.
Liswaniso said the exercise would continue in all areas of Chotto, Dairy Compound, Mahohoma, New Cowboy, and Makaravan East and West.
NAMPA
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