Chikhwawa residents protest land sale

Over 2 000 villagers gathered at Konzere Primary School in Chikhwawa on Sunday protesting the alleged sale of land by their chief for a sugar cane plantation project.

The gathering accorded human rights activists a chance to get first hand information on the land dispute that started in 2010 and is now in court.

Chancellor College-based human rights activist Dr Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula, in the company of Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) executive director Undule Mwakasungula and his Centre for the Development of People (Cedep) counterpart, Gift Trapence, met the villagers, but failed to interact with T/A Ngowe who allegedly sold the land to a developer.

Senior group village head Konzere claimed it was unfortunate that T/A Ngowe and some village heads sold the land.

“Over 20 000 people rely on this same piece of land. We do not want to be taken away from our fathers land. This piece of land is our hardware. We source roofing materials, we farm there and we also graze our livestock,” he said.

Ngowe, however, said in an interview yesterday he was surprised that a deal which was agreed upon by his group village heads and village heads should cause uproar.

He claimed Konzere was under the jurisdiction of T/A Masache; hence, had no right to protest.

 

 

 

FEEDBACK

JB did not miss point at UN

 

I do not agree with political analysts from Chancellor College who said President Joyce Banda missed a point in her speech at the United Nations (UN) because she did not mention the economic crisis Malawi is facing. I feel the President went to the General Assembly to articulate the dream she has about the country. The world is aware that many countries are in economic crises. The President told the world that she can take Malawi somewhere by the end of her tenure.

Via e-mail

 

On Mera recruitment story

I am grieved just to comprehend to what length human beings can go in trying to victimise each other. What The Nation reported in its exclusive story on the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) is just the tip of the iceberg. The whole idea of having interviews while it may be appropriate as opposed to performance appraisals for officers already in position was pursued in bad faith. The whole idea while quoting some government policy   was to ensure that some individuals should not find their way back to Mera. The top executive had to lobby with some government officials to have the interviews done, but also inform the board that government had instructed that the interviews be conducted.

It is not a secret some top executives indicated that they do not want to work with some individuals.

I would like to commend the Comptroller of Statutory Corporations for being independent and the Mera board for bringing sanity and fairness into the whole issue.

 Since the issue was referred to top government officials, my plea to President Joyce Banda and Minister of Energy is that removing from office people who are experienced and hard-working for personal vendetta is not just right, especially, now when Malawi needs to use institutional knowledge and experience to bring remedial measures for the growth of our economy.

The people are qualified, have extensive experience and are hard-working. That is why they found themselves at the institution in the first place having undergone interviews.

As rightly reported, when the contracts expired, the directors in question were put on a month-to-month contract, bringing uncertainty in their work at a time when the country needs to put all its energies in ensuring that we have improved fuel supply in the country. They were shortlisted only to be told the short listing has been cancelled. Is this how Malawians should be treating each other? The situation reminds me of the Esther and Haman story in the Bible. Those who plan to crucify others may one day just crucify themselves.

Indeed an investigation should be instituted. Yes, there should be a probe into the story to determine, among other things, whether the current experience and qualifications that the people have do not qualify them to hold their posts.

To Mera board, may God bless you for being objective and fair in this whole issue. May God bless mother Malawi.

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