Lazarus Chakwera promises to solve land wrangles
By Pilirani Kachinziri:
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president, Lazarus Chakwera, has promised to solve the problem of land shortage affecting most people in Thyolo and Mulanje districts.
The MCP leader was speaking on Tuesday during a whistle-stop tour in Thyolo, Mulanje and Phalombe ahead of the May 21 Tripartite Elections.
Chakwera, who is one of six presidential contestants, said he was aware of the land shortage which Peoples Land Organisation (PLO) leader, Vincent Wandale, attempted to tackle before he was gagged by the government.
“When voted into power, I will ensure that the land woes are resolved once and for all. People need to be free,” he said.
Chakwera described Wandale, who was arrested for championing the land rights in the two districts, as a sane and visionary leader.
Wandale was arrested and tried for trespassing after he threatened to grab land from estate owners to freely distribute to landless people in his capacity as PLO leader.
He was later taken to hospital following a court order that he be treated for mental illness before he could be deemed fit to stand trial.
Chakwera said issues of land, which affect the majority of the people in Thyolo and Mulanje, needs to be addressed with utmost seriousness.
He also promised to revive the minimum wage for estate workers to K50,000 a month, adding that those receiving a wage below K100,000 would be exempted from Pay-As- You-Earn.
Chakwera’s promise targeted workers in the two tea-growing districts (Mulanje and Thyolo), who have been fighting for better wages with their employers.
On Chakwera Super Hi-5, the MCP leader emphasised the need for all Malawians to prosper together regardless of tribe and region.
MCP vice-president, Sidik Mia, who accompanied Chakwera during the whistle-stop tours, said the current government had inflicted misery on Malawians.
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