The Legal Affairs and Education committees of Parliament have said there are reports that more school land was sold to Malawians of Asian origin by the government officials.
Last week, reports emerged that land where Livimbo schools in Lilongwe are, was sold by officials from the Ministry of Lands.
Chairperson of Education Committee of Parliament, Brainex Kaise and his Legal Affairs Committee counterpart, Kezzie Msukwa said apart from Livimbo, Parliament is also investigating alleged selling of land where Chilambula, Magwero, Chimutu and Shire schools are.
The two committees revealed the development after officials from the Ministry of Lands shunned a meeting with the committees after the Lands officials were summoned to explain how Livimbo School land was encroached by a business person.
“What is happening at the Ministry of Lands is stinking and we shall ensure that all bad elements are exposed and brought to book, and all illegal developments shall be destroyed in accordance with the law,” Msukwa said
Kaise said Parliament will take necessary legal action to claim land that belongs to the government.
“On Friday, members of Parliament ordered Ministry of Lands and Ministry of Education to appear before the [Education and Legal Affairs] committees [of Parliament] so that they hear from the horse’s mouth on what happened to Livimbo School for it to be sold. We also wanted them to explain what we have gathered that some more school land in Lilongwe City has been sold as well,” he said.
However, Minister of Lands. Symon Vuwa- Kaunda, has said the ministry, too, is investigating several issues to do with dubious selling of land and that priority has been placed to come to the bottom on the case involving school land.
“I am just four months old in this office [of the Ministry of Lands]. I will make sure to come to the bottom of these issues, just give me more time for me to also do my investigations,” Vuwa- Kaunda said.
Land where Livimbo School is, was sold to Ahmed Patel who insisted that he bought the land through normal procedure.
On Saturday, Vuwa- Kaunda confronted Patel and produced original maps of the land in an attempt to prove that the land belongs to the government.
