MPs storm another school over land encroachment

A  joint parliamentary committee of Legal Affairs, Education and Transport and Public Infrastructure, which is probing the encroachment of public institutions’ land, including the alleged Livimbo school land sale stormed another public school in Lilongwe over allegations that it had been encroached.

Members of Parliament in the committees were Tuesday afternoon accompanied by officials from government when they visited Chilambula primary school in Lilongwe.

The committee members along with officials from ministries of Lands and Education were told that private warehouses were constructed with an encroachment of some metres into public school land.

The parliamentary committee members noted that the scenario was the same as that of Livimbo where Lilongwe City Council demolished private warehouses on Saturday for the same reason of encroachment.

In his submission to the joint parliamentary committee,  Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Joseph Mwandidya has said lack of proper documentation is fuelling encroachment on public institutions’ land.

“There is a very big problem. Most schools and government institutions don’t have papers, that is why encroachment is rampant. We need to strategise and make sure that we give all the institutions the papers that they need,” he said.

On Saturday, Lilongwe City Council (LCC) demolished warehouses businesspersons Irfan Mohamed Patel and Ahmed Yajub Laheri erected on the disputed land, which borders Livimbo school, describing it as “illegal construction”.

Laheri insists the school encroached on his land as such he has instructed his lawyer Ishmael Wadi  ro take legal action against government.