President Peter Mutharika has ordered the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and Thyolo District Council to allocate part of the public land at Nantipwiri to farmers for agricultural production.
The directive is expected to end a long-running dispute over the land located between Chigumula in Blantyre and Bvumbwe in Thyolo and pave the way for legitimate settlers to obtain formal documentation for plots.
The Minister of Lands Chimwemwe Chipungu, who was delegated by Mutharika to engage the affected communities, said on Friday the exercise will focus on resolving the disputes and formalising the ownership status of legitimate settlers.
“I came to formalise the disputes and ensure that each petitioner has rightful documents on the plots,” he said.
The minister said chiefs and settlers will submit a list of legitimate settlers to Thyolo District Council on Monday [today] for verification.
The Nantipwiri team and the council is expected to meet on Wednesday before the minister returns on Friday to finalise the ownership process and issue offer letters.
Thyolo district commissioner Noel Dakamau welcomed the directive, saying it will help resolve the long-standing impasse while giving people an opportunity to improve their livelihoods through farming.
“Land in Thyolo is scarce. If 100 percent of the land is taken for commercial purposes, then people will have challenges in accessing farming land,” he said.
Group village head William described the decision as relief for people that have lived in the area with uncertainty for years
