Group wants Thyolo, Mulanje to be sovereign State

People of Thyolo and Mulanje under the People’s Land Organisation (PLO) have set December 17 2015 as the deadline for the declaration of the two districts as a sovereign State if their protracted wrangle with tea estate owners is not resolved.

The grounds for the declaration were reportedly approved by PLO members during a general congress held on November 26 2015 in Thyolo where a 21-day general notice was also issued to concerned parties to resolve the matter or else the two districts will form their own country.

PLO members argue that the land occupied by the tea estates was illegally acquired from their forefathers.

Thus, PLO has been agitating for the local people’s occupation of all idle land on top of demanding estates owners to pay £65 (about K53 000) per acre per year for all used colonial estate land from 1914.

The organisation has also been demanding from the estates owners a wage rate of £6.13 per hour (about K5000) per individual for those who were involved in Thangata (bonded labour) between 1914 and 1963.

But in March this year, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development intervened in the matter and pledged to resolve it.

And in October, President Peter Mutharika also summoned the leadership of PLO alongside Citizens for the Protection of Mulanje (CPM) led by Bon Kalindo, who also support the cause, for a closed-door meeting at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre to discuss the matter.

However, in an interview on Tuesday, PLO leader Vincent Wandale said Malawi Government as well as President Mutharika have failed to resolve the matter because what they want is contrary to the wishes of the people from the two districts.

He said as such the group members, after analysing the issue from 2009 to date and appreciating how the people have struggled for the land, have resolved to become an independent State if nothing happens by December 17.

However, presidential press secretary Gerald Viola said in an interview the Office of the President was yet to receive the communication; hence, could not make an informed reaction.

Principal Secretary of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Ivy Jullie Luhanga, who was part of government officials who met PLO leaders and pledged to resolve the matter, declined to comment on the matter saying she too had not seen the notice.

However, Wandale suspected foul play arguing that the notice was presented to all relevant and concerned parties including the UNDP who, he said, are the referee of nations on politics. n