LILIAN CHIKANDI writes
KATSOKO Village headman, Kelliot Mooya, of Sikoongo Chiefdom in Chirundu District, has complained about the mistreatment of land developers in his area by some headmen from the Chipepo Chiefdom.
Headman Mooya called on the headmen from Chief Chipepo’s area to desist from harassing land developers in his village because the area did not fall under Chief Chipepo but Chief Sikooongo.
He accused the headmen of demolishing structures and confiscating building materials from land developers who were rightly given land by Chief Sikoongo.
Mr. Mooya wondered where the Chipepo Chiefdom headmen were getting the powers to harass people in an area which was clearly not theirs.
He said that issue involving the boundaries between the two chiefdoms was still in court and yet to be decided upon.
The High Court on March 9, 2009 ordered Chief Chipepo to stop creating villages in Chief Sikoongo’s area while the matter was awaiting judgment.
“The High Court has taken fifteen years to pass judgment over this matter and this has created confusion and rampant land wrangles here. Government must explain to the people of both chiefdoms what the court order states”, he said.
Mr. Mooya observed that he was saddened by the lack of action from the security officers, the District Commissioner’s office and the Chirundu District Council to restrain the Chipepo Chiefdom headmen from to harassing innocent people over the land which is not theirs.
Headman Mooya bemoaned the lack of peace in his village because of te land wrangles and named the perpetrators of the confusion in the Sikoongo chiefdom as Confred Munsaka, Francise Siamapande, Collins Choongo, Stanely Mabbonka, a man known as Shi Bwalya and a woman whose name he is yet to now.
He called on the police to deal with the named perpetrators of the violence in the chiefdom, and to be informed that the 1958 Chiefdoms map clearly indicated the Chipepo Chiefdom was in Gwembe and not in Chirundu District.
He said that Chipepo Village in Chirundu district, was just a small settlement in Sikoongo Chiefdom and cannot be a chiefdom under another chiefdom.
Headman Mooya said that some people from the Chipepo Chiefdom even claimed he was not headman and yet he was installed on that position by Chief Sikoongo.
He called government to intervene and quickly resolve the issue because the tension was high and the people could easily rise against one another.
Headman Mooya further urged the council, the District Commissioner and the office of Chiefs and Tradition Affairs, to explain where the boundary between the Chipepo and Sikoongo chiefdoms was to avoid people taking the law in their hands.
