‘Most Malawians ignorant of land rights’
Lilongwe-based Landnet has bemoaned that most Malawians are not aware of their land rights despite Malawi adopting the framework and guidelines on Land Policy in Africa.
Landnet has also singled out Malawi as ‘possibly’ the only country that allows ownership of land by non-citizens and has described the number of foreigners owning land in both rural and urban areas of Malawi as ‘alarming.’
“Unfortunately, many people, especially in the rural areas, and surprisingly, even in the urban areas are not aware of their land rights. When they fight, they only do so to protect their survival but not necessarily that they know what their rights are,” said Landnet national coordinator Yvonnie Mmangisa yesterday.
The Landnet boss was reacting to The Nation query on the organisation’s position on land rights in the country in the wake of unrelenting land disputes.
Mmangisa said Malawi is among the nations that met in Libya in July
2009 where one of their resolutions was that they will ensure that land laws provide for equitable access to land and related resources among all land users, including the youth, the landless and other vulnerable groups.
She said the meeting also resolved to strengthen security of land tenure, especially for women.
“There are women that are suffering in Nkhotakota, Chikhwawa, Salima and Dedza, among others, and nobody wants to listen to them, let alone do something about it,” she said.
According to Mmangisa, most Malawians cannot hold their duty-bearers accountable, and added that even when land laws are taking too long to be passed, many people seem not to speak out.
She said it was sad that Malawians seem not to realise that land is a very crucial resource in the development of the country.
She added: “one wonders how food security, a high priority in the MGDS, will be achieved without land tenure security.”
The Landnet boss also lamented that the proposed amendments in the land bills are not being given the urgency they deserve and claimed that such may be the case because land is not one of the priority areas in the MGDS II.
She said it is Landnet’s desire to have a nation that understands their land rights, especially for women, a government that is responsive to the land needs and protective of the land for its citizens.
Mmangisa also urged parliamentarians to treat the land and related bills with the urgency they deserve.
Landnet Malawi is a membership-based network of civil society organisations, incorporated as a trust, whose main objectives are to advocate for equitable policies, legislation and decision-making processes relating to land and natural resources in the country.
