LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Landnet Malawi, a body that has been advocating for the enactment of land laws towards guaranteeing people’s rights on land has hit at traditional chiefs saying their protest against the land law reforms is a waste of time.

Few days ago chiefs and concerned citizens drawn from various parts of the country stormed Malawi Parliament on Wednesday with a petition demanding that the assented Customary land Act should not be effected until the law is repealed and that consultations are thoroughly done.

In the petition, chiefs have asked Members of Parliament (MPs) to move a motion to repeal the Customary Land Act in the current sitting saying the law has annulled their powers as traditional leaders.

They have argued that the proposed land committees will usurp the authority of chiefs and eventually abolish traditional leadership.

But in an exclusive interview with The Maravi Post on Friday, Emmanuel Mlaka, Landnet Malawi’s National Coordinator accused the chiefs of having misguided information on the law in question.

Mlaka hinted that chiefs’ protest against the Act was detrimental to land law reforms efforts but was quick to say that their action will yield nothing.

He therefore accused them of being used by certain misguided individuals who have personal gains over the whole reforms.

“We are not worried at all with chiefs’ protest against the customary land Act as we are aware that are getting wrong information from misguided individuals which will yield nothing. We are currently happy the way MPs have supported the remained bills till were passed into laws. We can’t afford to waste other time meddling with those against the reforms. This is the won battle started 14 years ago (since 2002).

“We visited some areas where chiefs wanted to protest as well but when were sensitized they rescinded their decision. We are currently engaging ministry of land to intensify awareness campaign across the nation on all the new amendments made to these laws that they understand them clearly”, said Mlaka.

The passed land related bills will harmonize the existing legal framework with the aspirations of the Malawi National Land Policy (MNLP).

The laws will also provide for public participation in the administration and management of land related matters.

The laws will also facilitate the domestication of the international standards for compensations and compulsory resettlements.

Landnet is a network of 43 civil society member organization plus seven individuals whose work is directly related to land and environment.

For the past two weeks, the national assembly has finally passed the remained land related bills into law including Land Acquisitions and compensation (Amendment),Malawi Housing Corporation (Amendment), Public Roads (Amendment), Local Government (Amendment), Registered Land (Amendment) and Forestry (Amendment).

recently, chiefs led by T.A Makata of Blantyre and Vincent Wandale, supreme leader of Peoples Land Organization (PLO), further accused the minister of lands as an agent for grabbing from poor Malawians and dissolving chieftainships.