The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is in a tight corner after some people have started developing land along Lilongwe River catchment area.
It has been established that a section close to the catchment area was allocated to a private developer in the 1970s, but the developer failed to develop the land and, instead, recently started allocating pieces of it to other developers.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change has sought answers from the ministry on what is happening on the issue.
Committee Chairperson, Werani Chilenga, said in an interview that they have asked the ministry to submit a report on the issue.
“We wrote them [the Ministry of Lands, asking them] to explain what has happened but, up to now, they have not responded. The stretch was a forest reserve. That is why there were no buildings.
“But we are surprised that, in recent years, some people have started constructing houses there. We think this is not good, considering that the stretch of land is [located] close to Lilongwe Water Board,” Chilenga said.
He added that it is worrisome that a portion of the land in question was allocated to a renowned businessman in the city.
“We have discovered that before he even paid for the land he was given, he changed its ownership [status]. That is why he is demanding compensation. But this is a mistake the Ministry of Lands made,” Chilenga said.
He added that if the Ministry does not submit a report to Parliament, the committee will decide on the way forward at a meeting they will have from April 18 this year.
Meanwhile, Lilongwe District Council has decided to allocate plots on some sections of the land in question.
District Commissioner, Charles Makanga, said, although the committee has queried them on the issue, it is the Ministry of Lands that is handling everything.
“The Parliamentary Committee complained that the water in Lilongwe River may be contaminated. But the Ministry of Lands is looking into the complaint. But, as a council, we are ready to allocate plots to people. We have only been stopped by an injunction which some people who have been cultivating on some parts of the land obtained,” Makanga said.
But Ministry of Lands Public Relations Officer, Charles Vintulla, has said the arrangement to lease the land to the developer was proper until the private leaseholder decided to subdivide parts of the land to other developers after it had been idle for some time.
“The Ministry is looking into the matter and how all illegal developers were left unchecked and we will present the issue to higher authorities to decide on the next move to address the [issue of ] encroachment and other irregular plot demarcations and allocations in the said areas.
“It is a situation that requires a sober and considerate approach as the events date back to the 1970s. However, everything will be regularised through the best way forward possible,” Vintulla said.
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