Minister of Lands Chimwemwe Chipungu has vowed decisive action against individuals who encroached on and vandalised property belonging to the Egyptian Embassy, warning that the incident carries serious legal and diplomatic consequences.
Chipungu said this on Thursday after leading a site inspection of the former Egyptian Embassy premises in Lilongwe’s Area 10 following a formal complaint from the mission.
Egyptian Ambassador Rasha Hamdy said neighbours alerted the embassy last week that unknown individuals had moved onto the property and carried out extensive destruction.
“We were informed that somebody came here and cut all the trees. There were mango trees and banana trees and they were all cut. The roof of the property was removed, windows were stolen and our gate was removed,” Hamdy said.
The property previously housed the Egyptian Embassy and remains under Egyptian government ownership despite the mission’s temporary relocation.
Hamdy presented a Transfer of Land Certificate dated August 6 1982 issued under the Registered Land Act, showing Malawi Property Investment Company Limited transferred the land to the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, acting through its ambassador.
The ownership is further supported by a certificate issued in Lilongwe on March 30 2021 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, certifying the document under the Hague Convention of 1961.
Hamdy said the embassy has since deployed private guards and engaged the VIP Police Unit, which has instituted night patrols as investigations continue.
She said the loss could not yet be quantified, noting that some of the destroyed trees were rare and very In an interview, Chipungu said his ministry reviewed the documentation on site and confirmed the embassy as the rightful owner.
“We have seen the rightful owners of this place through documentation shown to us by the ambassador. Our task now is to identify those claiming this land and take action,” he said.
Chipungu said the vandalism amounted to illegal land-grabbing and undermined Malawi’s obligation to protect foreign diplomatic property.
“These are people of high repute who came to enhance our bilateral relationship. Such acts damage our image as a country that respects the rule of law and international relations,” Chipungu said.
Responding to claims that politically-connected groups have been involved in land-grabbing elsewhere, Chipungu said enforcement would apply across the board.
“Without regard to party affiliation, as long as you break the law, we are going to arrest you,” he warned.
Commenting on the development, Mzuzu University-based lands expert Carlo Chingamtolo said the embassy has several legal remedies at its disposal.
“They can seek a prohibitive order from the court so that no one enters or carries out any activity on the premises. If there has been damage, they can seek compensation and if anyone has settled there, eviction must be pursued through the court,” Chingamtolo said.
She said encroachment cases often stem from disregard for property rights rather than legal gaps.
“Even if a property looks neglected, no one is mandated by law to enter it, damage it or take it over. Idle land does not mean free land,” Chingamtolo said.
Senior police officers who accompanied the minister said investigations into the vandalism and encroachment are ongoing.
