Dedza villagers, Kachindamoto lock horns over land

As debate on the newly passed Land Bill continues, thousands of villagers from Senior Chief Kachindamoto in Dedza are protesting their chiefs’ plans to lease off 1 300 hectares of the land to investors who want to build a sugar cane factory in the area.

Speaking at a function organised by Women Legal Resource Centre (Worlec) at Kamzati Village in the area, chairperson of the committee which is leading the protest, Isaac Phiri, bemoaned their chief’s intentions.

“When the project was about to take off, we were all summoned to the chief’s compound to be briefed on the issue. Almost everybody who was there, apart from the chiefs, protested the move.

“We protested because the land in question is not idle. We use it for cultivation, grazing and some of the people live there. So, when the land is sold, where will we go?” said Phiri.

Dedza district commissioner(DC) Siphiwe Mauwa, confirmed to have been approached by some businesspeople who want land for a sugar cane plantation in the area.

Concurring with the DC, T/A Kachindamoto argued that the people looking for the land come from the area, not foreigners.