Government U-turns on its promise to build houses for Wachepa villagers in Chipata.

Residents of Wachepa village in Chief Kapatamoyo’s area in Chipata district are still living in tents since October 2011.
This is despite government’s pronouncement in February this year that they will construct them houses after their houses were demolished by bailiffs.
Headwoman Wachepa, Elizabeth Chirwa told Breeze News that the tents are not safe to live in because they are now torn.
Mrs. Chirwa says that the villagers are still waiting for government who promised to construct them new houses, since it was the bailiffs that demolished their houses.
But Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Bert Mushala says that his office has no written document to prove that government will construct houses for the Wachepa villagers.
In January this year, government procured the disputed land at Wachepa village, which was under the title of Kabalika Nkhwengwe.
The then Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Mwamba facilitated the purchase of the land by government for the villagers at a cost of 80 thousand kwacha. He promised that government will construct houses for the villagers.