Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Chimwemwe Chipungu has commenced the allocation of Nantipwiri Palm View Estate land to affected people, fulfilling President Peter Mutharika’s directive to share part of the disputed land for agricultural use.
Chipungu on Friday witnessed the allocation process involving 401 beneficiaries from Traditional Authorities Bvumbwe in Thyolo and Kapeni in Blantyre Districts.
The minister urged the beneficiaries to remain calm and patient as the government continues with the land distribution exercise, warning that land matters can be sensitive and may lead to disputes if not handled carefully.
He said the process must be conducted fairly and transparently to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are treated equitably.
“As a symbol of the commencement of the exercise, we have started by allocating 25 plots to beneficiaries,” Chipungu said.
Each beneficiary is being allocated a 35-metre by 35-metre plot intended for agricultural purposes.
The minister said the exercise marks an important step towards ensuring that affected people have access to land for agricultural production and improved livelihoods.
“We remain committed to ensuring that the land allocation process is conducted in a fair, transparent, and orderly manner for the benefit of all eligible beneficiaries,” he said.
The development follows Mutharika’s directive announced last week after affected farmers petitioned the President over plans to sell part of Nantipwiri Palm View Estate for commercial and residential development.
Chipungu had said the President considered the farmers’ petitions despite previous court battles over the land and directed that part of the more than 1,300 plots be made available to local people for farming.
The earlier announcement indicated that a process would be undertaken to identify rightful beneficiaries, with 709 plots under Thyolo District Council and the remainder under the Ministry of Lands.
The Nantipwiri land dispute has involved hundreds of farmers who have been cultivating the area and had raised concerns over their continued access to the land.
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