By Jones Gadama
As the DPP-led government clocks one year in office under President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, one ministry that has stood out is the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development under Honourable Chimwemwe Mazabuka Chipungu.
From stopping land grabbing to giving title to village families, the ministry has moved with speed. In this exclusive interview, Jones Gadama engages the Minister on what has been achieved in one year.
JG: Honourable Minister, congratulations on one year. When you came in, you declared war on land grabbing and double allocation. One year later, what has changed?
CC: Thank you Jones. When President Mutharika gave me this assignment, his directive was clear — land must be secured for Malawians, not for grabbers. We immediately launched a nationwide land audit. For the first time we are physically verifying what is on the ground versus what is in our system. Already we have flagged over 2,000 illegally allocated and idle plots for repossession. This land will go back to public use — for schools, clinics and markets.
JG: One of the biggest stories from your ministry is the 50,000 customary land certificates in Mchinji, Zomba and Nkhotakota. Why is this important for ordinary people?
CC: This is President Mutharika’s pro-poor agenda in action. For decades our mothers in the villages have farmed land they could not prove was theirs. We have given 50,000 families legal documents, with special focus on women and youth. With a certificate, they can invest, they can go to a bank, they can leave land to their children without fear. That is real empowerment.
JG: Land disputes have torn families apart for years. What have you done to bring justice closer to the people?
CC: We took the courts to the people. We deployed Mobile Land Tribunals to 8 districts and in a short period resolved over 300 long-standing disputes. Some families had fought for 10 years over boundaries. We also institutionalized justice — we now have 319 Customary Land Tribunals, 28 District Land Tribunals and a Central Land Board, plus we decentralized land services to local councils so people don’t have to travel to Lilongwe.
JG: You recently commissioned the K1 Billion Ntchisi Land Registry and pushed digitalization. How does this help end corruption?
CC: Corruption thrives where systems are manual and hidden. We have digitalized lease approvals and we are comparing physical files with our Land Information Management System. The new Ntchisi Registry, worth K965 million, is part of this. When everything is digital and verifiable, there is no room for double allocation and fraudulent transactions.
JG: The Kasasile saga in Nkhata Bay and Nantipwiri Farm in Thyolo have been there for years. What is your ministry doing?
CC: These are personal priorities for the President. For Kasasile, we have secured a 600-hectare estate in Mpherembe, Mzimba. Allocation starts 5th to 10th October and relocation is from 26th to 30th October, to be completed by November. I will personally be on the ground. For Nantipwiri, we have started allocation of Nantipwiri Palm View Estate to 401 families from T/A Bvumbwe and Kapeni. This is fulfilling President Mutharika’s order that land must go to Malawians.
JG: You also unveiled 500 low-cost houses. Is decent housing now also for villagers?
CC: Exactly. We unveiled 500 units under the Rural Housing Programme in Dedza and Thyolo targeting vulnerable families who have lived in grass-thatched houses. Under President Mutharika, decent shelter is not a privilege for town people only. It is a right for villagers too.
JG: What is your message to Malawians who had lost hope in the Lands Ministry?
CC: My message is simple — trust has returned. Government is no longer spending K20 billion a year on rentals while public land lies idle. We are saving public resources, securing land, and giving it to the rightful owners. Under President Arthur Peter Mutharika, land is for development, not for theft. This is just year one.
JG: Finally, Honourable, what should Malawians expect from your ministry in the next year?
CC: More action, more delivery. We want to complete the land policy reforms, roll out more affordable houses, and ensure that every Malawian, whether in Nsanje or Chitipa, has secure land tenure. We have a President who listens and a President who delivers. Under Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, land will no longer be a source of tears, but a source of wealth for all Malawians.
