DPP MP Kalindo accused of land grab in Malawi tea-growing Thyolo

Thyolo West parliamentarian Charles Mchacha has strongly crticised comedian-turned-politician Bon Kalindo, who is also Mulanje South East parliamentarian, for bringing confusion in his district over commercial land.

 Nyasa Times has established that Kalindo has been mobilizing the people of tea growing district of Thyolo to stand up against commercial land owners and occupy the land which he argues “rightfully belongs to them.”

But Mchacha said that Thyolo legislators recently met and “will not allow him to confuse the people of Thyolo.”

Mchacha added, during a meeting he addressed at Mankhamba Primary School in the area of Traditional Authority Thomas of Thyolo, that what Kalindo is doing is “uncalled for” and that as bona fide citizens of Thyolo they will not condone his behavior.

“Kalindo has no power to cross district boundaries and come to Thyolo to mobilize people to occupy tea estates. You [the people of Thyolo] should not do what he is saying because he does not have your interests at heart.”

Mchacha further branded Kalindo, who is also DPP deputy spokesman, as an opportunist.

“He is not leading by example [as an MP] by agitating for land occupation. Issues of land are complicated. Kalindo should have used his influence as an MP to review the laws not this.”

But Kalindo was adamant.

“I will not relent on my call for justice. People of Thyolo and Mulanje were robbed of their land and have been suffering in their own country to accommodate exploiters,” said Kalindo.

Malawi’s tea industry, started by colonial masters in the 1800s, occupies thousands of hectares believed to have been grabbed from natives. The industry is also one of the most productive in the world.

In 2014, rose to 8.2 million kilograms, according to Global Tea Digest publisher Rajesh Gupta.