“Govt not allocating land to foreigners in resettlement schemes”
By Ruth Chayinda
The Office of the Vice President has dispelled claims suggesting that the government is allocating huge parcels of land meant for vulnerable Zambians to foreigners through resettlement schemes.
Permanent Secretary Resettlement in the office of the Vice President MAVIS NKOMESHYA says the claims are not only serious but also completely unfounded and misleading.
Ms NKOMESHYA says the resettlement programme has been in existence since 1988 and is designed to empower vulnerable Zambians by providing them with land for productive use while promoting sustainable agricultural livelihoods.
She says there are 104 resettlement schemes across the country with the highest number being on the Copperbelt Province.
The permanent Secretary says only Zambians are eligible to apply for land under the resettlement schemes of which an estimated 3, 750ha of land has been set aside for this exercise which is expected to benefit 1,000 eligible Zambians.
She said all beneficiaries of land in the resettlement schemes are selected through the application process and settler selection interviews done in the target districts by the lands committee.
Ms NKOMESHYA has urged the public to disregard such claims and rely on verified information as Government is transparent in its processes and remains dedicated to the principles of fairness and equity in land allocation.
She has since encouraged all eligible citizens to take advantage of this opportunity to acquire land and benefit from various agriculture initiatives such as the Sustainable Agriculture Financing Facility (SAFF), National Mechanisation Strategy (NAMS) among others to increase their production and productivity.
