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The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Synod Bishop, Sydney Sichilima, has been taken to Court by the church clergy, accusing him of illegally assigning himself land located in Chipembi area.
Bishop Sichilima has been sued together with the Synod office staff who include: General Secretary Rev Chipasha Musaba, former UCZ Administrative Secretary and Financial Secretary, Rogers Ng’ambi and Innocent Bwalya, respectively.
Others are Abel Kafunda, land surveyor and Reverend Georgina Mukupa, the wife to former UCZ Projects Secretary Mafwela.
The lawsuit seeking an order of the church to cancel the certificates of titles on grounds that procedure was not followed has been filed By UCZ Mufulira Central Congregation, Minister-in-Charge, Rev Joseph Chaikatisha and Mpongwe Congregation Minister-in-Charge, Rev Chileshe Chepela.
Chaikatisha and Chepela alleged that the Bishop and others illegally subdivided, shared and allocated among themselves land belonging to UCZ Chipembi Area of Chisamba District in the Central province.
“That the land that was subdivided, shared and alienated as stated above is on Farm1136/13 and Farm 1137/16 on certificates of title both dated November 15, 2013 belonging to the UCZ and held for and on behalf of all members of the UCZ by the Registered Trustees of the UCZ,” submitted.
The two clergy men submitted that a search at the Ministry of Lands confirmed their suspicion and in fact one Kafunda signed on both letters to the Commissioner of Lands authorizing the numbering and subdivision of farms 1136 and 1137, when he was not the competent officer to sign for and on behalf of the Registered Trustees of the UCZ.
“That we are reliably informed and verily believe that there was no resolution by the board of trustees or Synod council of the UCZ to subdivide, share and allocate the land and that therefore procedure was not followed,” they contended.
The applicants added, “If there was no resolution to do so,the same is illegal because the land is held in trust for all the members of UCZ by the Registered Trustees and there was no advert to the general membership of the UCZ that the said land was being subdivided and any interested party can show interest or object which could have been given an opportunity to the applicants’ to object to the subdivision and later on sharing of the said land.”
Chaikatisha and Chepela submitted that the Bishop and others did not follow the right channels in subdividing and sharing the said land.
They told the court that the certificate of title were commissioned and certified by one Ng’ambi .
“That when a title deed is wrongfully or fraudulently issued, it is only this court that has powers to order for its cancellation,” the two submitted.
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