By Jones Gadama
President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika’s vision of a land-secure, self-reliant and dignified Malawi is now being seen in villages across the country.
As we enter September 2026, the Minister of Lands and Rural Development, Hon. Chimwemwe Mazabuka Chipungu, has registered a remarkable month of August that shows government is finally working for the poor.
In just 30 days, the ministry moved to secure land, end corruption, and deliver infrastructure that directly touches rural families. This is what leadership with purpose looks like under President APM.
The month began with the launch of a nationwide land audit to end double allocation and the illegal grabbing of public land that has happened for years.
Teams were deployed to all districts and within weeks over 2,000 illegally allocated and idle plots were flagged for repossession.
This bold step is ensuring that land meant for schools, clinics and markets is protected for the people.
At the same time, working with traditional authorities, the ministry distributed 50,000 customary land certificates to rural households in Mchinji, Zomba and Nkhotakota. For the first time, women and youth now have legal documents proving they own their land.
This gives them security to invest and build, and it is President APM’s pro-poor agenda in action.
Justice also came closer to the people. Mobile land tribunals were sent to 8 districts and they resolved over 300 long-standing land disputes that had divided families and communities for years. People who had been fighting over boundaries for a decade finally got closure.
In the housing sector, the minister unveiled 500 low-cost housing units under the Rural Housing Programme in Dedza and Thyolo.
The houses are targeting vulnerable families who have lived in grass-thatched houses for too long. This proves that under APM, decent shelter is no longer only for those in the city.
To end fraud and delays, land registries in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Kasungu and Salima were fully digitized in August.
Malawians can now process title deeds faster and without paying bribes, something that was impossible under the previous administration. Protecting the environment was also a priority.
Working with local councils, the ministry stopped 45 cases of illegal sand mining and wetland encroachment and restored over 120 hectares of degraded land.
This shows that the APM government cares about both development and conservation for future generations.
Rural development also received a major boost. The minister handed over K200 million in Rural Infrastructure Grants to 40 constituencies.
The money is going directly to rural roads, markets and boreholes so that people no longer walk long distances for water or to sell their produce.
Looking ahead, an MOU was signed with three development partners to set up 20 solar-powered irrigation schemes in rural areas.
This will boost food security and reduce dependence on rain, which is key to President APM’s goal of making Malawi food secure.
Capacity building was not left behind. The ministry trained 1,200 agriculture and lands extension workers on climate-smart land use, sustainable farming and anti-deforestation.
These officers will now teach farmers how to protect the land while increasing yields.
Finally, to cut congestion and corruption, three new One-Stop Land Service Centres were opened in Mangochi, Karonga and Mwanza.
People can now process leases and title renewals closer to home instead of travelling all the way to Lilongwe.
All these achievements in one month prove that President APM’s vision is being realized.
Where the previous administration centralized everything in the capital and delayed services, this government is decentralizing resources and delivering to the villages.
Minister Chimwemwe Chipungu is showing that when land is secured and rural areas are funded, ordinary Malawians can finally benefit from their country.
Malawi is better under APM leadership because decisions are now being made for the poor.
With September here, Malawians have every reason to be hopeful because this government is working.
