Community technical college delays opening

A community technical college in Likoma District is failing to open due to controversy relating to land acquisition. 

Communities that claim ownership of the land have since blocked the opening of the college three years after its completion, in protest of the council’s decision to give the chiefs money for allocating land for the project.

However, the district council has described the money it gave the chiefs as “a token of appreciation” and not “compensation” as the communities allege.

In an interview, Likoma Area Development Committee chairperson Martin Mnkhwamba said communities suspect fishy deals between chiefs and council officials.

“We have started pushing the council to justify the ‘compensation’. There was no point paying the chiefs when the communities sacrificed the land for the sake of development,” he said.

Likoma District Commissioner Eric Nema conceded that the council gave money to the chiefs.  “It is not like we compensated the chiefs. It was more of saying ‘thank you’ to the chiefs and communities for providing the land,” he said.

Likoma District Commissioner Eric Nema conceded that the council gave money to the chiefs.  “It is not like we compensated the chiefs. It was more of saying ‘thank you’ to the chiefs and communities for providing the land,” he said.