Traditional ruler, Nkomeshya, accuses military of land grab in Chongwe District, sues govt for K25 million

Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya, has filed a K25 million worth lawsuit against the Attorney-General, accusing military personnel of encroaching on her land in Chongwe district under the guise that they were using the same for training.

Chieftainess Nkomeshya of the Busoli people wants the State to pay the families whose houses were demolished and property damaged the sum of K20 million and another K5 million for stress, mental anguish and inconvenience caused by government agents.

She is additionally demanding interest and costs.

The Chieftainess had cited the Attorney-General and unknown persons as defendants.

According to a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court on Friday, the traditional leader stated in June this year, headman Mwalukanga was visited by two motor vehicles full of soldiers and they asked to be given some land where they could train in preparation for their peace keeping outreach programme.

She said the said training programme was supposed to last for two weeks .

The plaintiff was dismayed when the soldiers refused to leave, continued training and started demarcating plots to themselves.

“As if the above is not enough, the soldiers brought in the graders into the area and also began to displace and demolish the resident’s houses without any court order whatsoever. They have deployed soldiers who have surrounded the said area with guns in an attempt to scare the local residents and grab the land by force through illegal means,” she said.

Chieftainess Nkomeshya described the soldiers behaviour as illegal and an affront to the principles of natural justice in that they did not have a right to summarily enter the land in dispute and forcely grab it under the guise that they were using the same for training.

She said over 15 houses had been demolished by the soldiers and even instructed unknown persons to construct houses on the said land without any regard to the established laws in this jurisdiction.

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