A contentious land dispute has erupted in Chitipi, Traditional Authority M’bwatalika in Lilongwe where some people are illegally dividing into plots farmland owned by a Bangladeshi identified as Manani.
When The Nation crew visited the over 170 hectares wetland (dambo land) near the Natural Resources College (NRC) yesterday, over 150 people, including women and youths, were demarcating plots using measuring tapes or digging trenches to mark boundary lines.
Several vehicles were spotted at the site, where incomplete brick-walled houses and fenced structures were visible.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Manani expressed hopelessness over the situation at his land, where he grazes his livestock.
“I do not want to comment much, but there is a court injunction. I now feel sick because of this issue. Please, I do not want to say anything further,” he said.
Asked when the court is expected to rule on the matter, he said there was no communication yet.
Random interviews with people at the site showed that many were vendors from nearby townships who had heard about “free plots” being offered.
A bricklayer from the area, who identified himself as Eston Lufiya, said he had been engaged by one of the leaders to help in demarcating the plots. He did not give the names of the leaders.
“I am just waiting for my bosses who are coming with some customers to see the land and I am expected to help in the demarcation,” he said.
During our visit, there was no official overseeing the distribution, but locals claimed that some leaders occasionally visit the area to allocate plots.
In a separate interview, group village head Mlera identified the ring leader as Zudu, saying he comes from the village, but now resides in Msundwe area.
She said the Bangladeshi bought the land from a group of community members years ago and that the amount did not exceed K1 million.
Efforts to contact Zudu proved futile as the mobile phone numbers we were given could not go through.
When contacted, Lilongwe Police Station spokesperson Hastings Chigalu said he needed more time.
