Maravi

(NYASATIMES) Government accused of giving more land to foreigners

Government accused of giving more land to foreigners
By Nyasa Times
Published: June 22, 2010

Government has come under fire for failing to adhere to the Malawi National Land Policy which has seen several foreigners getting land for other reasons and not investment.

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has expressed shock at the rate at which foreigners in the country get land at the expense of the locals. CHRR has since called on responsible authorities to put national interests first when allocating land.

“CHRR has observed that some traditional leaders and assemblies have developed a tendency of allocating land to foreigners for reasons other than investment. It is not a secret that foreign nationals, particularly Rwandans, Burundians, Nigerians and Chinese have acquired land in our districts, towns and cities and built houses at the expense of poor Malawians.

At the rate we are giving up our land, one wonders whether there will be any land left for the future generation. Let us be patriotic in the distribution of land,” said CHRR executive director Undule Mwakasungula in a statement.

Mwakasungula said some officers who are responsible for distribution of land do not follow the Malawi National Land Policy which clearly stipulates that “non-citizens and foreign companies will be permitted to lease land from the Government or directly from private landowners for investment purposes only.”

“This provision needs to be strictly adhered to when allocating and distributing land in this country. This is not about discrimination or xenophobia but it is about protecting our land and national interests.

“We at CHRR are not saying that foreigners should not have access to land in this country but that the National Land Policy should guide us when allocating land to them. What we would like to see, therefore, is this land policy being adhered to when allocating land to foreigners to ensure that we do not sell the country to foreigners,” he said.

Mwakasungula said his organisation has received complaints from Malawians over land issues. He also said a snap survey his organisation conducted in its eight districts reveals that ordinary Malawians are robbed of their land.

“From our snap survey and the numerous complaints we have received on land issues, as well as various media reports, it is clear that Malawi is sitting on a time bomb on land issues and unless something is done, the country will face a big land crisis 10 to 15 years from now,” warned Mwakasungula.

He added, “It is a fact that Malawians do not flock to China or Nigeria or any foreign country for that matter and expect to be given land to build at give away prices. Those countries are careful with their land. But why are we behaving like we have too much land for ourselves? Let us not forget that landlessness among Malawians has increased in recent years as the population has risen, thereby putting a strain on the little land available. This is more the reason why we should be cautious when allocating land.”

CHRR also expressed concern about land distribution along the lakeshore. Mwakasungula said most of the land purchased along the lakeshore is not accessed by the locals “and yet it is the locals who for years have owned that land”.

“Can government explain why it has let those who purchase land along the lakeshore stop locals to access and enjoy their ancestor’s waters,” he added.

Mwakasungula called on government to enact the land bill (2006) to prevent unscrupulous investors from taking advantage of poor Malawians. He said the bill would protect poor Malawians from losing their land.

“It is not a secret that over 60% of the country’s population is poor and that if these people have any property at all, it is the piece of land where they have built their house or set up their maize garden.

Chances of these people being tempted to sell that piece of land are very high, particularly looking at the current global economic crisis, which is impacting strongly at the local household level,” he said.

According to research on land by Chancellor College Political Science lecturer Blessings Chinsinga it is estimated that one third of smallholders cultivate between 0.5 and 1 hectares.

The research conducted in 2008 and titled “Exploring the politics of land reforms in Malawi” found that 55 percent of smallholders have less than one hectare and that 70 percent of smallholder farmers cultivate less than a hectare with the median area being cultivated standing at 0.6 hectares, and devote 70 percent of the land to maize, the main staple.

The research which was conducted Research Programme Consortium for Improving Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth also found that the average per capita cultivated land area is 0.22 hectares with the ultra poor holding 0.16 hectare per capita and the non-poor holding 0.28 hectares per capita.

“It therefore needs to be stressed that access to land is key for sustainable livelihoods in Malawi. It is a significant determinant of whether a household will be food secure, less vulnerable to risks and shocks and earn a livelihood above the poverty line,” says the report available on www.ippg.org.uk.

It adds, “Scholars actually posit that the extent to which agricultural development can have greater impact on poverty depends on the availability of land. However, the challenge in Malawi is that the ownership and distribution of land is highly unequal.”

Labels: CHRR, CORRUPTION, LAND REFORM, LAND RIGHTS

posted by MrK @ 3:31 PM