Land disputes worry Dowa chief
Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiwere of Dowa has decried the land dispute between two senior group heads (SGH) of his area, Mkanthamwa and Mndekwa, saying the wrangle is derailing development.
In an interview on Friday, Inkosi Chiwere expressed dismay that despite a High Court ruling in 2017 to put the matter involving the two local leaders to rest, people of the affected areas are still fighting.
contention in the area
Chiwere said people of the two areas are accusing one another of encroaching each other’s territory which is derailing development.
“What is of great concern is that the 21 years of land dispute has led to divisions among people of these two areas, making it hard for them to work together in development projects,” he said.
In a separate interview, Dowa Police Station officer-in-charge Owen Maganga said his office is aware of the wrangle and will take action shortly.
He said together with Inkosi Chiwere, police held a meeting with the two SGHs to find a lasting solution to the matter.
Maganga said they agreed to conduct sensitisation meetings with the people of the two areas to encourage tolerance and reconciliation in ending the land disputes.
Land disputes are common in Dowa District due to intermarriages between the Chewas and Ngonis.n
