By Phales Nthambo
Two years after being displaced from their homes following a land dispute involving the Malawi Defence Force (MDF), hundreds of families in Kasasile in Nkhata Bay District remain destitute at a church camp located in Mzimba District.
In response, President Peter Mutharika has instituted a committee composed of four cabinet ministers to address the matter, according to Minister of Justice Charles Mhango.
Mhango said apart from him the committee also has Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jappie Mhango, Minister of Lands, Chimwemwe Chipungu and Minister of Defence Feston Kaupa.
Mhango made the remarks during a stakeholders’ meeting at Nkhata Bay District Council, which was graced by Presidential Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs, Christopher Mzomera Ngwira to brainstorm on Constituency Development Fund (CDF) guidelines and developmental projects in the district.
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The minister said the committee has already started engaging other stakeholders to fast track the process.
“We are committed to ensuring that this matter is resolved amicably. Government understands the suffering people have gone through and we expect the dispute to be settled by the end of this year,” Mhango said.
On his part, Senior Chief Nyaliwanga of Nkhata Bay welcomed the intervention, saying the affected families have suffered for too long.
The local leader described the living conditions at the camp as inhumane expressing hope in the government’s intervention.
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“We need collaboration between the community and other stakeholders. We have been assured that there is a team working on the issue and we are expecting positive results,” Nyaliwanga said.
Nkhata Bay District Commissioner David Gondwe acknowledged that the prolonged standoff continues to affect peace and development activities in the district.
“This issue has been on the table for a long time and it continues to create tension among communities. People are spending more time dealing with conflicts and arrests instead of focusing on development activities,” he said. About 367 families were evicted from their villages in 2024 for allegedly occupying a land which MDF says is within their firing range.
The soldiers evicted the community following a court ruling that granted ownership of the land to the MDF.
For decades, the people farmed and built homes on the land they were evicted from, until 2018 when MDF claimed ownership.
According to the Ministry of Lands, MDF’s claim of ownership followed a land retracement exercise which the ministry conducted.
The exercise indicated that the people had encroached, according to the ministry.
A legal battle ensued leading to the court in Mzuzu granting the land and an eviction order to the MDF.
MDF implemented that eviction in August 2024, resulting in the people seeking shelter in a church in the neighbouring Mzimba District.
