Ministry of Lands has justified its decision to allocate residential plots at Nantipwiri on the border between Thyolo and Blantyre districts.
However, the exercise has ignited tensions, especially from people of Thyolo who insist the land belongs to them.
In an interview on Wednesday, Ministry of Lands spokesperson Mphatso Nkuonera confirmed that the land is public and allocations will follow the Land Act.
He said the demarcation process has been completed with beacons placed.
Said Nkuonera: “The land is under Blantrye District not Thyolo.
“Layout plan is approved and beacons placement was done and allocations will follow the provisions within the Land Act.”
Thyolo district commissioner Hudson Kuphanga also said the land does not belong to people in Thyolo.
“The residents of Thyolo do not have papers for this land. So, it legally belongs to Blantrye District,” he said.
However, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) executive director Sylvester Namiwa described the move as inhumane.
“It beats human imagination that public servants would prioritise affluent or outside interests over the landless people of Thyolo, whose ancestors lost land for tea estates,” he said.
Namiwa said his organisation is mobilising communities to challange the decision, including submitting petitions to the Ministry of Lands and potentially leading protests if necessary.
“Those who were using this land after former president Joyce Banda’s decree are now being labelled encroachers. This is an insult to people of Thyolo,” he said.
