By Simon Liseli
APPOINTED Consultant of the Mafwe Traditional Authority (MTA) Dr. Boniface Mutumba has recently clarified approved land boundaries between the Katima Mulilo Town Council and Mafwe Traditional Authority.
Dr.Mutumba,Managing Consultant of BSM Capacity Building Solutions CC told Caprivi Vision that town land boundaries were approved by the Surveyor General on October 9, 1991.
Building Solutions CC
He said the legal and administrative boundaries of the town are supposed to be respected by the Katima Mulilo Town Council (KMTC), Mafwe Traditional Authority (MTA) and the general public.
According to him the decision presented in his report was not to please parties to misunderstanding but to share the correct information with the view to educate the general public on matters of urban at the town.
Mutumba’s terms of reference was mainly to analyse the urban planning processes at the town in line to resolve the purported misunderstanding between KMTC and MTA.
The surveying of the area and determination of the town boundaries in question commenced in 1987 under the government of transition in consultation with the department of governmental affairs that were only approved in 1991 by the office of the surveyor general.
“Katima Mulilo was initially a settlement of the then government of the Eastern Caprivi Zipfel prior to independence in 1990 and condition of establishment were guiding documents of the newly proclaimed town in 1992 for purposes of urban and spatial planning at the town” Noted the consultant.
In his view, Dr. Mutumba lamented the fact that the land purportedly allocated to Lwanyanda suburban location by Mafwe Traditional Authority forms part of the approved town land of Katima Mulilo and it was administratively unjust for the MTA to have allocated land in the approved town land.
He advised people at the town to observe the rule of law utilization and management of urban land regulating in laws governing the Republic of Namibia.
“As a consequence they should engage the town council procedurally when they seek to occupy parts of the town and farmland of the town, the boundaries agreed upon should be adhered to by inhabitants of Katima Mulilo and the Zambezi Region at large” he concluded.
When asked to shed some lights on the disputed map rejected by His Royal Highness of the Mafwe Tribe Chief George Simasiku Mamili on the new boarder map displaying and protruding some neighbouring villages under his jurisdiction away the town of Katima Mulilo, “ Note that this was the troubleshooting map that land occupiers and the MTA disputed. For your information, this was an aerial photograph from the CEO’s Office that was not approved by KMTC. As a result, this is not a working document, hence could not be advanced further in my report. Consequently, there is no need for further discussion around a discarded sheet ”.
He quashed that “the foregoing map created the unnecessary fear to the MTA and inhabitants of the areas that are marked within the red circle of that aerial photograph”.
When reached for comments on the boundaries in question between the two parties Mr. Lennox Lutambo Kalima an Induna of Liselo sub-Khuta who is allegedly to have allocated land to residents said that with Dr. Mutumba’s experience they went through into boundaries where he showed them pegs that he managed to explain for them.
“We went into all boundaries until we finished and we found that the other side is for the town and the other for the traditional authority and agreement was signed between the Zambezi Regional Council, Mafwe Traditional Authority and Katima Mulilo Town Council because we have known boundaries that were in question” Explained Induna Kalima.
When asked on what will happen to people of Lwanyanda who doesn’t have land to resettle Mr. Lutambo replied that “The Chief asked that question because we were together when we were showed boundaries. Chairperson of KMTC management committee hon. Lister Shamalaza clarified that those who paid money to traditional authority, the money will be their deposits to the plots that will be officially allocated for them by the town council at NOVA where the council got enough land.
He added that Lwanyanda land has been already given to a certain developer and the area was the only one left belonging to the town land for some other developments.
Asked to shade some lights on those who are refusing to relocate at NOVA he said “Yes they are those who are refusing to relocate saying they have bought the land but an agreement was reached that the land belong to the town land and people should shift to NOVA where the council has allocated them land, am also moving there because I had a plot at Lwanyanda so I have to go to NOVA” he further explained.
“Our people should know that when the Chief made that call to people who were demolished to pay to the Khuta to find them land to live, it does not mean that the land was permanently given to them, the khuta just lease and those people should expect to be moved away anytime and the money paid to the Khuta cannot be paid back to those people as they think that is the rule and law of traditional authority” he concluded.
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