By Solister Mogha

Zomba, August 30, Mana: Ministry of Lands on Thursday handed over customary estate ownership certificates to the people of Senior Chief Mlumbe in Zomba.

This makes community members genuine owners of the land and is a step towards curbing community land disputes.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Director of Human Resources in the Ministry of Lands, Francisco Zimba said by registering land, community members have the freedom to develop their land without limitations and that the process would reduce cases of land grabbing.

Zimba said according to the new Land Law, community members are encouraged to register their land, which is one way of protecting loss of land even in times of death.

“Land registration is one of the important processes that will, apart from promoting ownership of the land, also help people to care for their land knowing any damage on it will have direct effects to them. This will be very different from the current status where people do not care to what they can do with the land because they feel it does not belong to them," Zimba added.

He said it is the wish of the Ministry of Land that more people register their land for a legal biding land ownership.

Senior Chief Mlumbe hailed the ministry for fast tracking the land registration process, which he said, would reduce land disputes and other related cases.

“Issues of land boundaries have been some of the challenging situation to us. I am proud that with the certificates, chiefs will have no pressure of handling land disputes," the senior chief said.

One of the beneficiaries, Esnart Symon said by registering her land, she is assured of full ownership and that no one would come threatening her.

“I am excited because finally, I have become owner of my land. My children and grand grandchildren are assured of the land,” she added.

Jonathan Kanyangalazi from the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP) which has supported the ministry of lands carry out the exercise said it was exciting that finally the much awaited process has been completed.

Kanyangalazi said during project assessment period it was discovered that many families were failing to take part in sustainable land management activities because they did not own any land.

This, he said prompted them to support the land registration process with hope to attract more into sustainable land management interventions.

“All we expect from them in massive contribution in sustainable land management activities knowing that they have their land where they can do several land management activities, “he said.

In Zomba, the exercise started in the area of Senior Chief Mlumbe.