Malawi’s National Assembly Speaker, Richard Msowoya has emphasized the need for this country to swiftly enacting land laws in a bid to attract investors and rescuing the poor from land grabbing injustices.
The Malawi’s Speaker was addressing the high level forum on development effectiveness, Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and development organized in the capital Lilongwe on Wednesday, July 8, 2015 aimed at finding last solutions from wide ranges of stakeholders to move the nation forward.
Speaker Msowoya call has excited Landnet Malawi’s, a grouping of civil society organisations which has been advocating for 13 years the enactment of land laws including land, customary, registered land and physical planning bills.
Msowoya said enactment of the land laws would be paramount in two folds salvaging the poor from land grabbing which has left them landless and destitute as they cannot contribute effectively to the development of this country while on the other hand the laws will attract investors for bigger projects which ensure their settlements security from encroachers.
“If we are serious of taking Malawi to the Promised Land, then, having proper land laws is an ideal because any developmental activity is done on land. No investor can put their resources in a country whose laws are outdated and don’t apply to modern world. Serious investors look for proper settlement to secure their resources.
“Women and children have been the victims of land grabbing due to old laws which misguided individuals have taken advantage of. Once, proper laws are put in place, there will be permanent settlements which will enable the general populace effectively contributing to development of Malawi.
“It’s in this regard, I’m urging the other arm of government-executive to fast track with the land laws to parliament for enactment that this nation must move forward with developments”, appeals Msowoya.
Goodall Gondwe, Minister of Finance who chaired the forum assured the general public that ministry of Land and Urban Development was through with consultations on Land bill which is expected to be tabled in November 2015, Parliament Seating.
Later the Maravi Post caught up with Joseph Gausi, Landnet Malawi Project Officer who expressed gratitude over the call from the high office which deals with laws saying executive arm of government needed to fulfill its obligation to save the victims of land grabbing.
“This is a welcome development from the high office which deals with laws for urging the other arm of government. It means the law won’t have huddles once is tabled in Parliament.
“Landnet is looking for ministry of lands’ fulfillment of promises made during the last consultation held last month of taking the land bill to Parliament to salvage the poor who have been victimized by land grabbing by misguided individuals, politicians due to outdated land laws”, said Gausi
The incomplete land legislations especially customary land bill which its absence is the cause of victimization of women failure to access land resources, has given a reel way to misguided individuals, politicians and investors to take advantage of the situation to connive with District Commissioners (DC) and Traditional Authority (T.As).
They pocket huge sum of money in dubious transactions to acquire land without formally consulting their subjects who have resisted such pressure resulting into chieftaincy wrangle, fights, displacement, demonstrations, petitions, courts injunction and deaths hindering community developmental projects to take its course.
