Minister Muluzi engages media on Malawi land laws: ‘Help address misconceptions’

Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development  Atupele Muluzi on Wednesday  held   a media sensitisation meeting on land related laws and bills at Golden Peacock in Lilongwe.

Muluzi said his ministry is organizing sensitization meetings as well as training to various groups of people including the media so that all Malawians should be aware of the National Land Policy.

“There must be accountability  and transparency to the nation as far as the story of land policy is concerned, lets civic educate people on how this laws are working,” said Muluzi.

Muluzi observed that most Malawians including those protesting against the reforms do not understand the main issues in the registrations and end up misrepresenting facts.

“I have observed that most Malawians including those against the land reforms and even the media have not gone through either the 1964 Land Laws or the just assented to land laws. They are so emotional about it and end up giving sweeping generalised statements, raising irrelevant issues that are not even part of the registrations,” said Muluzi.

According to Muluzi,  the land policy bill is not there to take  land from the owners but what it is targeting is registration so that the owner of the land are safe and that the whole process is for free.

He also explained that the new land laws will empower chiefs other than the 1964 land related laws which gave all powers over land to the president who then delegates it to his ministry.

“We want the poor, who has the land but they do not have money to have the chance in taking part by registering their land, through this we can be empowering Malawians since they will have the heart of belonging to the country,” said Muluzi.

The aim of the National Land Policy is to ensure tenure security and equitable access to land to all Malawians through registration of those already possessing the land.

“The registration is not focusing on foreigners but those who already have the land and are citizens of the country, the chance is there to everyone who wants to register to use their own names on the document,” said Muluzi.

The minister further emphasised the new land related laws will address land challenges in districts such as Mulanje and Thyolo as it will empower government to take over freehold land that remain idle for two years “and also deal with challenges faced by women who make 80 percent of the country’s farmers.”

Government through Parliament passed the controversial four land bills amid protests by the opposition.

The ministry with funding from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Bank are conducting sensitisation meetings trying to make all stakeholders involved understand the importance of the reforms.