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NEWS I Letters
To the Editor I Features I
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Know your Rights I Legal
Advisor I
Chief
Burns Man's Houses & Slashes His Field
By Delphine Hampande
A Kasama chief last month directed his subjects to burn houses and slash
fields of a man after he failed to give him a letter to take to the council
in order for him to secure a lease title.
Chief Kafwimbi of Kasama is also reported to have demanded 30 heads of
cattle and 14 goats from Alinan Simpamba before burning and slashing his
fields.
Simpamba, a farmer who keeps a lot of different animals said in 1996, he
asked the chief to assist him acquire a lease title on the piece of land in
his area so he could use it as a grazing field.
Before writing to the chief, Simpamba had gone to Isoka city council to go
and consult on how he could acquire a lease title. He was advised to see his
chief who will in turn would write a letter to the council as an assurance.
The chief later promised that he was going to write as soon as possible.
Chief Kafwimbi then told Simpamba to pay him 30 heads of cattle and 14 goats
before giving him a letter, which he did in 1998.
In 1999, he decided to approach the chief again with the hope that he would
resolve the issue.
Simpamba's persistent approach angered the chief and it was at this moment
that he decided to order his subject to burn his houses and slash his maize
and bean fields and later ordered him to leave the land declaring that he
had all the powers to chase him.
When he asked the chief to return the animals he had given him as payment,
the chief told him.
It was at this point that he decided to go to Kasama Legal Resources
Foundation (LRF) centre to seek advice on how he could get back his animals
and compensation for the loss of his property.
Kasama legal advisor Deogratious Mutale said what the chief did was wrong
because no one had the right to take the law in his own hands. He promised
to follow up the matter.
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