Mulanje, Thyolo not breaking from Malawi: Land activists deny secession remarks; settle for dialogue

A grouping of citizens from tea districts of Mulanje and Thyolo have distanced themselves from earlier calls made by some of their representatives who were pushing for secession of the region and forced eviction of tea estates as a reaction to unmet demands.

Kalindo and his delegation at Sanjika Palace
Kalindo and his delegation at Sanjika Palace
Happy meeting President Mutharika: Kalindo at Sanjika Palace
Happy meeting President Mutharika: Kalindo at Sanjika Palace

Representatives of Peoples Land Organisation (PLO) and Citizens for the Protection of Mulanje Mountain (CPM) have assured government that they will use amicable means and not force in their pursuit for solutions to the acute land problems facing the people of the two districts.

Leaders of the two groups made the pronouncements at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre this week where they had an audience with President Peter Mutharika, for the second time this year.

Speaking to journalists after meeting the President, Member of Parliament for Mulanje South Bon Kalindo who led the team, explained that leaders from the two groups and people of Mulanje and Thyolo are not party to pronouncements by one Vincent Wandale suggesting that the people from the two districts want to break away and be declared an independent state over alleged failure by the government to address land problems facing the people.

“We want the President and all Malawians to know that what Wandale said were his own personal views and does not represent PLO or CPM or the people of Mulanje and Thyolo. The people from the two districts respect the constitution of Malawi, love this country and respect the President.
“The President understands the land problems facing the people in Mulanje and Thyolo and he has assured us that he will take this matter head on and find a lasting and amicable solution to it.
And that is what the people of Mulanje and Thyolo want and not be on our own,” said Kalindo.

According to Kalindo, the land issue is a serious matter that cannot be resolved by using threats or undermining the ongoing efforts for personal fame.

However, Kalindo dismissed fears that they were betraying their followers, saying the discussions were a step in the right direction on the matter since the President has taken up the issue.

Addressing people from the two districts at a meeting held at PLO headquarters in Thyolo on March 4 this year, Kalindo warned that people from the two districts would not take anything apart from support to take back their ancestral land and the tea estates in the two districts.

He challenged Mutharika to intervene in the land wrangles or face serious unrest from the people of the two districts whose patience, he said, was being stretched.

Government officials from the Ministry of Lands cooled down the matter the same month when they signed a petition committing to address concerns of the two groups.

People from the two districts are demanding that the commercial farmers pay £65 per acre, per year for all used colonial estate land accruing from 1914 to date and a wage rate of £6.13 per hour per individual for those who were involved in Thangata (forced) labour between 1914 and 1963.

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mqueeyoh
mqueeyoh
8 years ago

To say lomwes are foolish is total absurd. Atumbuka kwanu kuli chani. Anyima mukuona ngati muchotsedwa ntchito. Musakakamire kuno muzipita kwanu mukatukuleko. Why are u developing here than kwanu shupiti zanu

babylon system
babylon system
8 years ago

The lomwez are really foolish. Tea is the second source of forex in malawi. So they think the government can bow down to their demands and give them land so that they farm? hahahaha. Thats funny indeed. No prezident can bow down to this nonsensical demand. Additionally, the rate at which estate workers are being paid is now better unlike other companies. Babylon system will grab the mapwiyas by the neck

Dr.prof.nyada
Dr.prof.nyada
8 years ago

Adta all any sane President wouldn’t bow down to their demands. Do they know how much tea is contributing to the Gross Domestic Product of the country? Fortseki akagwele uno. MALAWI IS PREDOMINANTLY AGRO BASED. TOBACCO ISCALREADY BEING PUSHED OUT OF THE MARKET. THE ONLY RELIABLE SOURCEVOF INCOME FOR THF NATION IS TEA!!!!!PUMO THIS INTO THE DULL HEADS OF LONWEZ

Careful Banda
Careful Banda
8 years ago

time to arrest winiko for stealing so much sedar. its too bad he is destroying the mountain

Tonde
Tonde
8 years ago

Remember that hundreds of these lomwes were resettled in Estates the government bought in mangochi and machinga during bakilis time but what have they done in response to that emigration? Aswana ngati mbewa. They can take all the estates but if they don’t control their fertility they will perpetually be crying for more land

William Mzunga
William Mzunga
8 years ago

Do u think u can ran two district on ur own where are going to get money Zimbabwe is suffering as a country for chasing white farmers A big warning dont take for granted that APM comes from there that u cannot be arrested for treason case

adawaza
adawaza
8 years ago

Alomwetu ndi zitsiru. Mahule ku malawi ndiye ndi Alomwe. Mwana wang’ono akangoyamba timawele basi mwanchinda. Agalu inu. Pitani kwanu ku Mozambique. U dont belong to Malawi, you tricked to be Malawians. Voetsek machende anu. Pitala wanuyo anangokula machende saziwa chimene akuchita.

Wapamtima
Wapamtima
8 years ago

problem with you lomwe people simutsata njila yolela, ndiye kuswana ngati mbewa. Malo olima asowa ndithu komaso kuno ku centrel ma estate onse afodya mudangoti pwi. Ndizachilendo kuti kwa alomwe kuzichokela atsongoleli adziko. popeza Mulungu sataya ake. but dont change our good Malawi to be like Zimbabwe.

Janta Manta
8 years ago

kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk koma chamba….

lackison
lackison
8 years ago

Yambani kulera agalu inu osati zachamba mukunenazo

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