THYOLO-(MaraviPost)-President Peter Mutharika has directed authorities to allocate part of the Nantipwiri Palm View Estate land in Thyolo to local people for farming, reversing plans by the district council to sell the land for commercial and residential development.
Local media reports in Malawi said Lands Minister Chimwemwe Chipungu announced the presidential directive on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting with representatives of farmers who have been using the disputed land.
Chipungu said Mutharika had considered petitions submitted by the affected communities despite the farmers having previously lost court cases over the land.
The estate has more than 1,300 plots that had been earmarked for sale. Under the new arrangement, authorities will establish a process to determine the rightful beneficiaries of the land.
The minister warned beneficiaries that the land would be subject to a strict prohibition on resale.
Of the plots, 709 are currently under the control of Thyolo District Council, while the remaining plots are administered by the Ministry of Lands.
The dispute has affected 836 farmers who have been cultivating the land and have raised concerns over their future access to the property.
Group Village Headman William and Hussein Dickson Chiwalo, chairperson of the affected farmers, welcomed the government’s decision, saying it had eased uncertainty among the farming communities.
The farmers expressed hope that the presidential directive would bring an end to the long-running dispute over the land.
The development comes after Thyolo District Council announced plans last week to dispose of the estate for commercial and residential development, prompting renewed concerns among people who rely on the land for farming.
Authorities are now expected to begin identifying eligible beneficiaries and determining how the land will be distributed among the affected communities.
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