Chikhwawa district council vote to forcibly evict people from low lands

Chikhwawa district council has resolved, through a vote to forcibly remove people from low lands to upper land where government allocated them land in view of the forthcoming massive floods expected to hit the district this month.

Only Chief Lundu voted against the use of the police to force the people go upper land, angrily accusing Illovo of digging canals for sugar irrigation that he said flood villages.

“If they have issues, they should deal with Illovo, not the innocent people,” said Chief Lundu.

However chiefs Ngabu, Chapananga, member of parliament for Chikhwawa west Kennedy Maluwa and district commissioner Bester Mandele over ruled chief Lundu.

The vote was carried and all except Chief Lundu agreed to use force to evict people from the low lands prone to flooding.

Last year, a dozen people died there due to floods and displaced thousands of people who depended on relief food and other basics of life. Some say people of Nsanje and Chikwawa go to flood prone areas deliberately to get sympathy during floods so that they are given relief items.