Tensions Mount In Soper vs Kamanga Land Grab Debacle

A Kitwe based farmer, Kevin Soper, has famously been protesting the illegal land grab carried out by former Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Elias Kamanga.

In protest of the unlawful ‘grabbing’ of 600 hectares of Soper’s land he has attempted to walk from Kitwe to Lusaka to meet with President Lungu. His case has sent shivers down the spine of a number of white farmers in Zambia who fear it is going the way of Zimbabwe.

However, Kamanga has lashed out and is taking steps to saw media houses for defamation of character and instituted legal action against Soper himself.

In 2000, the Supreme Court made up of then Chief Justice Enerst Sakala, Lombe Chibesa Kunda and Ireen Mambilima delivered a ruling that the farm land in excess of 1900 hectares belonging to Mfubu Ranch be subdivided after it established that it was neglected and under utlised.

The Supreme Court directed that Mfubu ranch be given 600 hectares while the rest be subdivided by the Kitwe City Council who went on offer Soper a good number of hectares but refused and claimed the whole land was his.

The ruling also cancelled Soper’s title and that of the late Barnabas Chellah the former Wusakile Member of Parliament. Chellah owned a huge piece of farm land alongside Soper before he was hacked to death by squatters.