Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Chimwemwe Chipungu says the government is committed to providing land to all landless communities in the country.
Chipungu gave the assurance at Traditional Authority (T/A) Nthunduwala in Kasungu District, where he handed over parcels of land for resettlement and farming.
The community comprises 200 sons, daughters and grandchildren of former tobacco estate tenants who were retrenched in the mid-1990s.
The people attempted to settle in Zambia but were later driven back and dumped at Nthunduwala in October 2012.
Chipungu said it had been the wish of the current administration to provide the community with land. He assured the people that the government and its development partners would ensure they had access to essential amenities, including water, to help prevent waterborne diseases.
“On behalf of the government, I am happy that this matter is finally resolved, the people’s dignity is restored and soon they have a place to call home. I also thank the President for ordering that land be bought for their resettlement,” said Chipungu.
Chairperson of Nthunduwala camp Stanley Lyson and T/A Nthunduwala both thanked President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika for addressing their long-standing challenge.
“It feels like dreaming, because our dignity is now restored through this gesture. We have suffered humiliation for having no land, as if we are not Malawians. I thank the government,” said T/A Nthunduwala.
The land distribution exercise will see 132 families allocated land for housing and farming.
By Isaac Jali
