Malawi Law Society (MLS) and opposition political parties have asked government to show leadership in outlining measures being undertaken to protect the boundary over Lake Malawi, which Tanzania is redrawing.
Besides constructing Mbamba Bay Port on the disputed lake waters earlier this year, the Tanzanian government has now instructed teachers to use a map that depicts the border on Lake Malawi as running through the middle of its upper half, not along the shoreline.
In a written response yesterday, MLS president Patrick Mpaka reminded government that under Sections 1, 3 and 159 of the Constitution, the national territory of Malawi consists of all the territory.
The territory, he said includes airspace, waters and islands which comprised the territory of Malawi before the commencement of the 1994 Constitution as recognised by the applicable law of nations, which includes the international treaties that were in place then and defined the territory.
Said Mpaka: “As such Malawi has a duty to defend its territory and its territorial integrity on that basis and therefore the State authorities owe it to Malawians to advise on the status of any dealings, including the mediation you have asked about, concerning the boundary with Tanzania given the emerging information.”
Alliance for Democracy (Aford) leader Enoch Chihana said procrastination on the matter was not helping, urging the current leadership to immediately convene a meeting with all opposition leaders to bang heads.
He recalled that during former president Joyce Banda’s time (2012-12014), the matter also resurfaced, but Banda was vigilant, called all opposition leaders and they shared notes.
“Let President Lazarus Chakwera convene a meeting with all of us, the lake belongs to us all and any decision that the current regime wants to make, should be that which all of us have provided input on,” he said.
When contacted, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Charles NKhalamba said there was no response yet on the matter, as we inquired on the status of a questionnaire sent over a week ago.
