Malawi government threatens to take back undeveloped land

Government has warned it will withdraw land from lessees who fail to develop it within a specified period or have sold to a third party the undeveloped land.

In a statement seen by Nyasa Times,  Principal Secretary for Lands, Housing and Urban Development Joseph Mwandidya says this tendency has slowed down development within the cities.

“Lessees should know that, development covenant is one of the terms and conditions contained or implied in their leases,” says Mwandidya in a statement.

The statement comes at a time when First Lady Gertrude Mutharika, through her Beautify Malawi, is fighting over a piece of land near Civo Stadium in Lilongwe with some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials.

This also comes at a time when a presidential guard was embroiled in a near fight with Mwandidya over a government piece of land in Likuni, Lilongwe which Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Symon Vuwa Kaunda was also interested in.

Mwandidya says failure to comply with the terms and conditions, constitutes breach of covenant.

“The ministry would like to notify the general public that, it will start withdrawing all allocated plots from its lessees who have failed to develop their plots within the stipulated period of time.

“The withdrawn plots will be reallocated to other prospective developers,” says Mwandidya.

Mwandidya also says the sale of undeveloped plots, termed as speculation, constitutes breach of development covenant.

He says anyone found selling of having sold undeveloped plots will face court action or in the alternative, the plots will be withdrawn from the buyer.