Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has cited growing population exerting pressure on land as one factor making it impossible to allocate large pieces of land to communities seeking relocation.
The ministry’s Principal Secretary (PS) Amani Mussa told a tense meeting in Mzuzu with traditional leaders and their subjects from Rumphi, who are seeking a return to some portions of land in Vwaza Wildlife Reserve and Nyika National Park, that their request to get a portion of the protected areas cannot be granted.
He said there are currently about 1 000 households in camps seeking to be relocated, but government can only manage to allocate one hectare per family, irrespective of the size of the household.
Said Mussa: “For us to tell you to go back to the park, or the game reserve, that will be difficult because that will mean those from Majete, Kasungu and Kasasile will have to get back and that may lead to commotion and confusion.
“We have over 1 000 households in camps and we are looking for land to allocate them. When government looks for land, the maximum a household gets is one hectare, whether you are over 10 in the family or not. That’s how much pressure we have.”
Mussa’s sentiments did not go down well with the affected chiefs who, visibly angry, left the meeting room at Chatonda Lodge while the last speaker, PS for Tourism, Wildlife and Parks Jean Mnyenyembe, was delivering her closing remarks.
During the meeting, the concerned group’s chairperson, group village head Chikulupati from Senior Chief Katumbi, said the chiefs were only asking for “a portion of the land that government took away” from them in 1954, a decision reinforced in 1964 when Nyika was a forest reserve and later in 1975 when it became a national park.
He said: “Our colleagues from Vwaza were also evicted in 1977 and scattered looking for land, others headed to Nkhata Bay, Zambia and Mzimba, but in Zambia the owners are taking back that land, leaving them destitute.
“In Rumphi, those who welcomed us want back their land. So, we don’t have land to farm, facing eviction and this is perpetuating poverty. What we want is just part of the land in these protected areas where our forefathers planted things like coffee which is still there and we have seen some illegal mining activities as well.”
However, Mussa stressed that chiefs need to ensure that those who relocated from Nyika and Vwaza are settled within the areas where they currently live, adding that communities must maximise production from the same small pieces of land by adopting new agricultural technologies.
In her address, Mnyenyembe urged communities to protect tourism sites as national treasures.
She said: “Many people would have loved to live closer to those places. It is only when you lose it that you will appreciate it.
“Companies that are operating there can help you develop. If you cut down all those trees and those animals leave, who do you think will come to visit them?”
In an interview after the meeting, Mnyenyembe said the resolution was that no one would be going back to the protected lands.
Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe admitted that the land issue remained a challenge, but said a solution could be found for those with completely no land.
“Those with little portions of land will have to remain there, but those with completely no land, maybe the Ministry of Lands will have to look at land in deceased estates and if that is acceptable, we can move these people there,” he said.
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development director of chiefs Charles Makanga urged calm, saying government property should be handled with care.
He said: “You don’t make decisions on government property as if it is a family or personal property. I know some complain that government takes time, but we need to follow all procedures and essentially, matters get resolved.
“I beseech you chiefs, that we need to continue with discussions, and eventually we will have a breakthrough.”
Nyika-Vwaza Co-Management Trust chairperson Edward Twea, a retired Justice of Appeal, said he hoped the matter was heading in the right direction.
“We will ensure that benefits from Nyika-Vwaza are enjoyed by all, and we have already started doing some roads. Everyone has to enjoy it because it’s for government, not just for the people of Rumphi because they are closer to the area,” he said.
Malawi is reeling under a land squeeze with the four cities battling encroachment of public land reserved for roads, schools, health facilities, forests and other infrastructure.
The situation is compounded by fraudulent allocations of plots with Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Chimwemwe Chipungu two weeks ago confirming that serving and former Cabinet ministers alongside other senior public officials are involved in irregular land procurement in Lilongwe.
In February, the ministry launched a two-month land ownership audit to update records following failure by irregular landholders to voluntarily provide information during a 14-day window.
