Masaiti farmers sue Senior Chief Chiwala over land

NINETEEN peasant farmers of Kamuchnga area have sued Senior Chief Chiwala of the Lamba speaking people in Masaiti district for allegedly displacing land.

According to a writ of summons filed on June 6, before Ndola High court Judge in charge Emelia Sunkuntu by the plaintiffs’ lawyer Enias Chulu.

The farmers have also cited Access Bank and MCD Civil and Mechanical Engineering Limited as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

In their statement of claim, through the farmers’ representative, John Masuwa, the farmers have contended that Majaliwa Muwaya, who is Senior Chief Chiwala, has illegally displaced them from the land where they have been settlers for over 25 years now.

They further argued that the land in question was granted to them by Chief Chiwala’s predecessor Harry Muwaya.

“…that the plaintiffs are peasant farmers and settlers in Kamuchanga village in Chief Chiwala area, and that the plaintiffs surrendered their farm permits to the 1st defendant together with a cash payment of K50.00 on the assurance that he would return the permits but he has not done so.”

“The 3rd defendant is a body engaged by the 2nd defendant to undertake construction works on behalf of the 2nd defendant,” read the statement in part.

The plaintiffs have since asked the court to restrain the Access Bank and MCD Engineering from carrying out any construction works on the land in question.

The court has since set July 21, as the date for hearing on the matter.