In a recent Facebook post, Vincent Wandale has voiced strong criticism regarding the handling of a highly anticipated report, suggesting that the investigative process is flawed and biased. Wandale draws comparisons with European practices, where a government under investigation is typically required to resign to ensure that a neutral body conducts the investigation without bias.
Wandale argues that asking the very individuals suspected of misconduct to oversee their own investigation is fundamentally flawed. He questions the credibility of such an approach, pointing out that it is unreasonable to expect those suspected of wrongdoing to objectively and honestly investigate themselves. According to Wandale, the terms of reference for the investigation were set by those under suspicion, further undermining the integrity of the process.
He emphasizes that it is unrealistic to expect genuine accountability in such circumstances and suggests that this outdated approach reflects a lack of progress and respect for modern standards of governance. Wandale concludes with a call for more contemporary and transparent methods in handling such investigations, asserting that it is 2024 and not 1914, and that people deserve a fair and unbiased process.
Mzuzu-(MaraviPost)—People’s Land Organisation (PLO) has resuscitated the land reclaiming battle from tea estates owners in Mulanje and Thyolo Districts.
According to one of the trustees of the organisation, Vincent Wandale, local owners of the land in the districts want to have their land back, allegedly snatched by foreign estates owners years ago.
“The fight is not by me as such, I am just one of the trustees. So, the fight is still on, it has never stopped. The issue of land is still intact. There is no way we can just sit back. Our land was stolen; there is evidence at the Office of the President and Cabinet. It is everywhere that the land was stolen and the people that are calling to that land know what they are saying. They are saying a lie; the land belongs to us,’ ranted Wandale.
Commenting on the development, Minister of Land and Urban Development, Kezzie Msukwa, said government is available to help all Malawians embroiled in land disputes.
Msukwa said: “Government is always available to solve problems of all Malawians including issues to do with land that is there in Thyolo. We will come to the gist of the matter so that we are able to understand what the real issues are so that we should be able to help wherever possible; but as government, we are always willing to help the people.”
Reports indicate that people in Mulanje and Thyolo are the worst hit with matters of land disputes with only 0.2 hectares being possessed by aborigines and the rest of it is under foreign ownership.
The foreign land owners, on the other hand, claim they acquired the land lawfully.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The High Court has ordered the reinstatement of Vincent Wandale on government payroll.
The court also ordered that government pays Wandale his salary arrears within 30 days from the day of his reinstatement.
Wandale, leader of People’s Land Organization was interdicted from the Ministry of Agriculture in 2016 after leading a string of protests for land rights in the country.
However, having fought his interdiction the Court has reinstated him with an order to government for his half pay during the period of interdiction.
The Court learnt government had gone against its own order for half pay as per interdiction letter.
Wandale was stopped from reporting for duties in 2016.
Ironically; in spite of the interdiction letter indicating about half pay; Wandale never received anything.
Malawi Vice President, Saulos Chilima, also heading the United Transformation Movement (UTM) has admitted that residents of Mulanje and Thyolo districts have a land scarcity problem.
Chilima made the remarks at a political rally at Njamba in Blantyre, launching his political grouping United Transformation Movement [UTM] in the southern region.
He said he supports the call from People’s Land Organisation [PLO], that government must intervene on the land situation that is in the two districts.
“I must say I agree with what Vincent Wandale has been saying on the issue of land scarcity in Mulanje and Thyolo districts not the issue of making the two districts another country, we need to sit down with all stakeholders and talk about the issue,” Chilima said.
The UTM leader said for a long time politicians in the country don’t talk about other issues saying they are very sensitive in nature.
But Chilima said sensitive issues are those supposed to be discussed so that solutions to the problems are provided.
He said if the issue is not discussed, the next generation will not have their own lands where they can settle.
During the rally he held in Blantyre at Njamba, the Veep assured Malawians that once voted into power he will involve all stakeholders involved to resolve the issue.
Chilima vowed to review some land laws once voted into power next year.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)- Tempers flared on Wednesday afternoon in the ongoing the Public Affairs Committee’s (PAC) 5+1 All-Inclusive stakeholder’s conference, after some delegates demanded the resignation of President Peter Mutharika.
The rejection suggests that PAC executive committee has backtracked on the agenda in the heat of criticism for conducting itself like a political party.
The self-acclaimed supreme leader of People’s Land Organization (PLO) leader Vincent Wandale, and human rights defender Billy Mayaya, made the regime change call attempt, which did go down well the Government representatives in the room.
The call was in sharp contrast to the set agenda of the conference, which was to remove the Government.
“I want to request that in the name of fairness, we should remove the President and his team and perhaps have the Vice President take over,” Wandale asked.
Standing on a point of order, the visibly charged Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) central region vice president Hetherwick Ntaba, objected the discussions.
Ntaba demanded an explanation from PAC of the actual theme of the conference, arguing that Government had come to discus serious national issues.
“I would like to appeal for order. I think we have very serious national issues to discus, but what is happening now is a disgrace. Let us know if the theme is regime change, because we have not come here for that.
“We came here for serious business that needs serious attention. If it’s about regime change, we are ready to stand up to that. We can challenge and be worse than that,” Ntaba said.
Concurring with Ntaba, Reverend Misanjo Kansilanga, former PAC chairperson, bluntly told off the two and urged the delegates against discussing issues that are not on the agenda of the conference.
Even Catholic Bishop Thomas Msusa, and gender activist Emmie Chanika, opposed the motion by Wandale and Mayaya to remove Mutharika.
Bishop Msusa argued that PAC has no legal mandate to force regime change, and said it was only a religious body and not a political party.
On her part, Chanika while making reference to other countries where sudden change of government brought chaos, and anguish, wondered who would take over Government if PAC brought down the Mutharika administration.
Under the theme titled, “The state of governance and public trust: Reclaiming our destiny”, the conference is expected to examine the state of governance and public trust, and develop a consensus on practical interventions, in a bid to hold leaders accountable in Malawi.
The meeting also focuses on enhancing a conversation on actionable steps to be followed towards enforcing implementation and actions on crucial issues of national concerns.
Heavy armed police officers are manning Mount Soche Hotel where the conference is being held and also in Blantyre Central.
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.
Emmanuel Mlaka: against traditional chiefs’ protests
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The self-acclaimed supreme leader of Peoples Land Organization (PLO) leader Vincent Wandale has finally appealed against his conviction and sentencing by the Senior Resident Magistrates Court in Blantyre.
Wandale’s lawyer Michael Goba Chipeta confirmed that his client has appealed against the conviction based on grave errors the court made when reaching its decision to convict and sentence him.
Wandale; the court erred
Chipeta said that the state failed to specify the misdemeanor his client committed arguing that the court failed to prove any use of land and physical presence of Wandale at the scene
He added that the appeal against Wandale’s conviction and subsequent sentence will be held at High Court in Blantyre.
Wandale even threated to take the matter to International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague seeking intervention.
The supreme leader was convicted on November 3, this year and was given an 18-month suspended sentence on November 8, for conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, criminal trespass and aiding and abating illegal use of land.
Wandales conviction followed full trial after he was arrested on September 3, this year in the capital Lilongwe following reports that he led hundreds of locals to invade private-owned Conforzi Estate in Thyolo district.
He even authored a strong letter titled, The African Traditionalist Government of The United States of Thyolo and Mulanje (MUST) declaring war against the foreign aggression from their ancestors land.
The letter which the Maravi Post sourced at that time aided his arrest and in part it red; Following the powers vested in the Supreme Leader by article 110 of the Constitution of the African Traditionalist Republic of the United States of Thyolo and Mulanje (MUST) on declaration of war and peace and the mobilization of the armed forces, the African Traditionalist Government of the United States of Thyolo and Mulanje (MUST) has declared a state of war against the Republic of Malawi and shall commence hostilities on Friday, the 9th of September, in the year 2016 to ward off the foreign aggression unleashed by the Republic of Malawi. All neutral neighboring States including Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia are asked to take note of this development.
“All citizens of the African Traditionalist Republic of MUST are being asked to gear up for war and undergo military training as provided for in the Constitution of the African Traditionalist Republic of MUST. Corporate taxation without exemption shall be levied on all colonial estate companies in Thyolo and Mulanje to finance state operations and the war effort and any defaults shall be resolved by nationalizing the concerned estate”, concluded Wandale’s statement.
In April this year, Wandale declared Thyolo and Mulanje as independent states calling it the “United States of Mulanje and Thyolo” purportedly on behalf of the group.
He gave government up to September 1 to resolve the land issue by giving them back their forefather’s land or would start distributing among them.
The PLO has been agitating for the local peoples occupation of all idle tea estates land in the districts since its establishment in 2009.
The organization has been demanding that estates owners pay £65 (about K53 000) per acre per year for all used colonial estate land from 1914 to date.
PLO has also been requesting from the estates owners a wage rate of £6.13 per hour (about K5 000) per individual for those who were involved in Thangata (bonded labour) between 1914 and 1963.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The self-acclaimed supreme leader of Peoples Land Organization (PLO) leader Vincent Wandale says will seek International Criminal Court (ICC)s intervention following his conviction on Thursday.
