A Lusaka resident has dragged Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda to Court, for allegedly claiming ownership of his late father’s property.

Misheck Mbewe, who is suing as an administrator of the estate of the late Jasiel Mbewe, has also sued the Attorney General as the second defendant, seeking an order for vacant possession, among other claims.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Wednesday, Mbewe stated that sometime in 1995, his late father purchased Stand L/4186/M in Luanshya from the Ministry of Lands after it was offered to him.

He added that his deceased father had then went ahead to start building a house on one portion of the farm.

Mbewe stated his father unfortunately died in 1997 at Luanshya Mine Hospital after a short illness and did not complete building the said house.

He recalled that after his father’s death, he and his brothers were too young to run the farm, therefore another person was assigned to take care of the land.

“Sometime later, Peter who was told to continue as a watchman and caretaker of the farm, brought Chilufya Malupenga who took up the job, while he was allowed to rear livestock and farm on the said land,” read the statement of claim.

Mbewe stated that in January last year, he received a phone call from some owners of the farm which was adjacent to his father’s, informing him and his aunt that there was a person who was about to start building on the farm and was claiming that it was his.

He stated that he immediately traveled to Luanshya with his aunt where they discovered that the person claiming to own the land was the mayor of Luanshya, Nathan Chanda.

Mbewe stated that Chanda’s brother was among the men found developing the site and supervising the workers.

He stated that when he and his aunt went to the Ministry of Lands to conduct a search concerning the names on the title deeds, they discovered that the documents had been changed to Nathan Chanda Bwalya, as the owner.

Mbewe further stated when they asked the Ministry of Land personnel to avail them documents reflecting how ownership of the said land was changed, the officers informed them that their system only reflected Nathan Chanda as the initial owner.

He alleged that he and his auntie tried to engage Chanda concerning his claim over his late father’s farm, but Chanda threatened to have them arrested.

Mbewe is seeking for an order for vacant possession of the farm and an order to rectify the records at the Ministry of Lands to reflect the names of the deceased as owner of the said land.