Frustrated Nsanje flood victims return to flood prone area

Over 10 000 people from Traditional Authority (T/A) Nyachikadza have returned to their flood prone areas due to failure by authorities to provide land for resettlement.

Some individuals found at Bitilinyu Camp under Chief Ndamera said local leaders were failing to provide them with land to resettle.

Petro Black, one of the few people whose family remains at the camp claimed their colleagues have gone back as there is no hope that they will be provided with land for resettlement.

Said Black: “Local leaders in the area of Chief Ndamera where we want to be relocated are demanding compensation or a win-win situation where people whose land will be affected also benefit from Nyachikadza’s land which they are saying is good for agriculture.”

His sentiments were echoed by T/A Nyachikadza who said they were still waiting for government’s intervention on their relocation.

“My people want to be relocated, however, the local leaders and land owners in the area of Chief Ndamera have attached some strings to release land to my subjects. This has forced my people to go back to their place of origin although it is prone to floods,” said the chief.

However, acting chief Ndamera denied the claims, saying he wants a balanced deal so that his subjects who own the land should not suffer in the course of assisting the flood survivors.

Meanwhile, a human rights organisation, Malawi Carer, has asked government to intervene so that the survivors are resettled.

Nsanje Malawi Carer paralegal officer Gabriel Tengani urged government to engage all concerned leaders so that they understand that such misunderstandings infringe on people’s rights to development.