Rumphi women seek land justice

Despite the operationalisation of  the 2016 new Land Act in 2018, some women in Rumphi district still face challenges accessing justice over land ownership and other related land wrangles.

This was disclosed during an interface meeting that Chikulamayembe Women Forum organised on Tuesday.

The meeting was aimed at helping some of the women who reported their land-related disagreements to the organisation to seek justice in accessing land and resolving boundary wrangles.

A woman who represented others victimised on land ownership, Emelia Katumbi of Mung’anya Village in Traditional Authority Chikulamayembe, said some relatives grabbed her land when she had left for South Africa.

She said: “I am not having peace of mind as my brothers always fight and chase me out of home because of my land. They say that being a woman, I am not supposed to own land.

“Before I went to South Africa, it was the same land issue with my brothers and we quarreled to the extent that the case was reported to court and the judgement went in my favour.”

However, Katumbi said the relatives have continued to grab the land, which prompted her to report to the Council of Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe and later to Chikulamayembe Women Forum.

Chikulamayembe Women Forum is implementing the Women Land Act Project with support from Just Associates through Our Body Our Lives.

Rumphi district’s Our Body Our Lives vice-chairperson Lucia Kumwenda said there is more to be done so that women must own land.

Rumphi, Phalombe and Kasungu districts have been under pilot phase of the 2016 New Customary Land Act.

The Act makes provision with respect to customary land in Malawi and in particular the administration of customary land taking into consideration gender issues.