ZAM IS NOT ZIM: REPORTS OF GRZ PROPERTY DEMOLITION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LUSAKA 000316

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ZA
SUBJECT: ZAM IS NOT ZIM: REPORTS OF GRZ PROPERTY DEMOLITION
EXAGGERATED

Ref: Lusaka 247


1. (SBU) Summary: Following advance warnings made by the Zambian
Minister of Local Government and Housing in late February, on March
11, the GRZ razed approximately 100 partially completed, unoccupied
structures in the Kalikiliki section of Lusaka. The Zambia Land
Alliance, an alliance of civil society groups dedicated to land
reform, has reserved judgment on the government's decision to
destroy the illegal Kalikiliki structures. Although some media
reports have compared the GRZ action to Zimbabwe's "Operation
Restore Order," which left thousands homeless in 2005, these
comparisons are unfounded. End Summary.

GRZ Destroys Unoccupied Structures
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2. (SBU) On March 11, the GRZ razed approximately 100 partially
completed, unoccupied structures in the low-income, high-density
Kalikiliki section of Lusaka. Media reports indicate that the
government also destroyed squatter shacks in Solwezi in North
Western Province. PolOff visited Kalikiliki on March 14 and found
the area to be calm and orderly. Residents reported that government
construction crews, escorted by police, arrived in the area late on
the evening of March 10 and tore down the cinder block structures
using sledge hammers. The operation took approximately two hours
and the residents did not confront the work crews or protest their
actions.


3. (SBU) Many of the "owners" of the destroyed structures were
likely not aware of the government action until the following day,
since none of the buildings were occupied. When PolOff visited the
area, the approximately two-acre tract on which the structures had
stood was completely cleared - local residents had carted off the
rubble for use in other construction projects, also probably
illegal. Residents said that the land had recently been sold and
they speculated that the government destroyed the structures in
response to complaints from the new owner.


4. (SBU) The GRZ's actions were not without warning. On February
20, Minister of Local Government and Housing Sylvia Masebo announced
the plan to destroy the Kalikiliki structures after touring the
area. Masebo noted that the people building on the land could
produce no documents to prove ownership. "A group of people have
been selling land and instructing clients to construct their homes
in the shortest possible time," Masebo said, adding "all these
structures are going to be demolished and this is not a joke."
Though warned, many Kalikiliki residents were surprised that the
government acted on its plan. The GRZ often threatens to take
action against illegal squatters, but rarely follows through. The
destruction of the Kalikiliki structures has produced anxiety
throughout Lusaka's compounds, which are home to many properties of
similarly dubious provenance.

GRZ Motivated by Political Considerations
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5. (SBU) Although complaints from the new land owner may have
prompted the GRZ to clear the Kalikiliki property, many believe that
the government was also motivated by political considerations. Most
of Zambia's illegal structures are located in urban areas such as
Kalikiliki, which are also strongholds of the opposition Patriotic
Front (PF) party. The GRZ may be trying to assert its authority in
these areas by cracking down on long-overlooked property law
violations.


6. (SBU) At the same time it asserts its control, the GRZ may be
acting to show its determination to fight corruption following the
revelation of widespread abuses at the Ministry of Lands (Reftel).
Much of the illegal development of land in Zambia can be attributed
to local supporters of the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy
(MMD),who divide and sell parcels of land that the MMD awards to
them in return for their political support. In many case, these
corrupt MMD supporters sell the same tract of land multiple times to
unsuspecting and uneducated buyers (though it is not certain that
the Kalikiliki builders had even a "good faith" claim to their
property). By enforcing the law, the GRZ may be seeking to put an
end to this practice.

MMD and PF Agree? Pigs Flying Over Lusaka?
--------------


7. (SBU) Ironically, the leadership of the opposition Patriotic
Front (PF) party may also be quietly pushing the government to clear
illegally occupied land, although it is mainly PF supporters who
will be affected. Susan Nakazwe, the Mayor of Lusaka and a PF
member, accompanied Masebo on her February 20 tour of Kalikiliki,
lending her tacit support to the plan to raze the structures. In
addition, Patriotic Front MP from Matero Faustina Sinyangwe praised
Masebo in a speech to Parliament, noting the need to curb land
abuses. Finally, PF president Michael Sata, never one to miss an

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opportunity to criticize the ruling party, has been conspicuously
silent on this issue. Mulima Akapelwa from the Catholic Center for
Justice, Development and Peace (CCJDP),speculated to PolOff that
Sata may privately support the GRZ efforts to clear illegally
occupied land because that would allow PF-dominated local councils
to regain control of the properties.

Civil Society: No Rush to Judgment
--------------


8. (SBU) The CCJDP is a member of the Zambia Land Alliance (ZLA),
which advocates for land reform stressing the need to provide the
poor with access to land. The ZLA has not yet formed a position on
the destruction of illegal properties like the ones in Kalikiliki,
Akapelwa said. She explained the dilemma, noting that, although the
ZLA believes that land should be accessible to all, it cannot
condone squatters or fault the government for enforcing the law. On
the other hand, the ZLA believes that the MMD is responsible for
creating the problem of illegal development and should be held
accountable for selling properties and development rights without
clear title. The CCJDP does not advocate for people who illegally
occupy land, Akapelwa stressed. Several years ago the CCJDP was
itself victimized by squatters who had formed what amounted to a
"township" on CCJDP property before being evicted by government.

Comment
--------------


9. (SBU) It is unclear whether the incident at Kalikiliki is a
one-off event or the beginning of a sustained campaign by the
government to rein in abuses of Zambia's property laws and establish
clear titles to land. There is no evidence that the GRZ has adopted
a new policy with regard to illegal settlements, and so far the GRZ
has taken no action on Masebo's pledge to remove illegal vendors
from Lusaka's improvised downtown markets. It appears that the
government's intentions are good, even if its actions may have been
prompted by political considerations and appear heavy-handed, as
reported in the international media. Beyond the considerable
challenge of establishing clear titles to properties following
decades of widespread abuse and corruption in the Ministry of Lands,
the GRZ may face an even greater challenge in providing housing to
Zambia's millions of poor who are migrating to urban centers in
great numbers. To alleviate the burden on cities and stem the
growing housing crisis, the GRZ will need to do a better job of
creating economic opportunity and providing electricity and other
government services to Zambia's rural areas. End Comment.

MARTINEZ