Africa-Press – Zambia. Government has ordered the immediate arrest of all Chingola Municipal Council workers involved in the demolition of 10 structures at the Kasompe airstrip in Chingola, escalating a local land dispute into a national governance issue.
Gift Sialubalo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the demolitions directly undermine government’s commitment to protecting citizens’ welfare and property rights.
Speaking in Lusaka on Tuesday, he directed the council to furnish a comprehensive report within 24 hours, warning that accountability would be enforced.
Preliminary findings, according to the Minister, indicate that the affected land belongs to the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority. He urged all stakeholders to de-escalate the situation and pursue lawful, coordinated solutions rather than unilateral enforcement actions.
Chingola Member of Parliament Chipoka Mulenga also weighed in, expressing sharp disappointment with the local authority’s conduct. He said due process was ignored and questioned the priorities of the council.
“The machinery used to demolish people’s property should have been on the roads fixing infrastructure, not destroying livelihoods,” Mulenga said.
The demolitions at Kasompe airstrip have triggered public anger in Chingola, with growing calls for clarity on land ownership, compensation, and the limits of local authority power.
Government’s decision to move toward arrests marks a hard line against what it describes as reckless municipal action.
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