HOW CHINESE BOUGHT LAND FROM NATIVE ZAMBIANS

By: Joseph Kalimbwe

Photo: Zambian Watchdog

The Chinese have since 2012, became powerful in our country, now they own vast amounts of land in Zambia. The Chinese of the Communist Party of Chairman Mao are openly putting up adverts asking Zambians to buy land in Zambia from them. Its as if Zambians are the ones who are foreigners and they are the natives. This is precisely how almost 50% – 70% of vast land in Lusaka was owned by a Lithuanian – Italian Family. That family still own much of Lusaka’s land from KK International Airport.

In 1946 prior to our country’s Independence, The Galaun Family got land around the city of Lusaka. To this day, they own vast amounts of land in Lusaka. Their land stretched into today’s Salama Park, Ibex Hill, Meanwood, Kudu Village, Kampasa to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport all the way into the Lusaka forests. This poster from the Chinese is another such stories, now the Chinese ask Zambians to buy land from the Chinese as if Zambians are the foreigners and the Chinese are locals. But truth is these Chinese didn’t just get this land, they too bought it from Zambians, waited for it to appreciate in value and now are selling it for profit.

If we ain’t careful and while some Zambians come here to defend those who exploit them whenever i bring such issues, sane Zambians must be in the right state to ask questions that summon the patriotism in them. Take off your political party cap and just think of it as a Zambian. These people can take over our country in 50 years. Your kids and Grandkids will have nothing left for themselves. Issues like these which must be at the centre of our politics are never discussed. Instead we only spend time insulting each other in our Zambian politics while foreign nationals from other continents come in to own our mines 100% and buy off our lands.

In Parliament, we need strong laws to protect our country from external occupation. Those laws must not just be strong on paper, they must be accompanied by strong adherence on the ground. Members of Parliament must not just belong to parliamentary select committees, sit at Manda Hill and only conduct countrywide visits once in 6 months. These are exercises that must be conducted every time. Its clear these Chinese bought this land from native Zambians. If the Zambians who sell them the land knew the dynamics and are subjected to frequent checks, they would fear selling off our land to foreign nationals. We will fight these issues ourselves in Parliament after August.
Across the entire country, we must maintain the same land policy as the Barotse Royal Establishment does to its land in Western Province. We must sell land to each other as Zambians and never to folks from far away lands. Our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, they remain burried on these truly Zambian lands. We must preserve our land, its heritage and culture on which to safeguard our Zambian values. Otherwise the Chinese are coming, if we ain’t careful, they wll take every land and then evict our Zambian Families off the land of their forefathers. We can’t politically let that happen under our watch!