52 Ngombe residents sue over Forest 28 demolitions

By GRACE CHAILE-LESOETSASEVEN years after their structures on Forest Reserve no.28 were demolished, 52 N’gombe residents have sued a Lusaka businessman, Mr David Nkonde and two others in the Lusaka High Court claiming K92 million as compensation .Mr Lastone Kunda and 51 others have cited Mr Nkonde, Super Star Forwarders Limited and the Commissioner of Lands as defendants in the matter seeking an order of injunction restraining the the defendants, their agents and servants from trespassing or carrying activities on the said piece of land.They want a declaration that they were rightfully offered the land.The 52 are seeking an order of compensation arising from the illegal demolition of structures and loss of building materials amounting to K92, 020, 000.They want an order directing the Commissioner of Lands for cancellation of certificate of title no.203069 given fraudulently to Super Star Forwarders Limited.They also want consequential expenses, interest on any monies the court will order as compensation.In their statement of claim, the 52 said they were owners of plot LUS 36921 known as N’gombe displaced which was part of a Presidential Decree order land given to them by late President Levy Mwanawasa.They stated that Mr Nkonde is a businessman and a director at Super Star Forwarders Limited who is claiming to have been offered a Presidential Decree land by the Commissioner of Lands, while the company claims to have bought the presidential decree land from him (Mr Nkonde).Mr Kunda said he and others were part of the N’gombe displaced who were given land by President Mwanawasa through the Catholic Church and Ministry of Lands.They said in 2013, Mr Nkonde acted with unknown persons and demolished their houses which were at different levels from foundation to roof levels except two fully completed houses ready for occupation which are on site.The 52 said apart from the structures being demolished, they also lost their building materials such as sand, building blocks, pockets of cement, plants, roofing sheets and nails.