By Wendy Mkandawire
The Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development Chimwemwe Chipungu has warned that anyone found documenting fake land documents for personal gain will face the law, as the government moves to curb escalating land fraud in the country.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Chipungu said cases of fake land documents are on the rise, with one piece of land sometimes being sold to two or more people.
Chipungu stressed that his ministry will work concertedly with members of the community to report to the ministry if such malpractice takes place, and through the Land Information Management System, the ministry will identify perpetrators.
He further disclosed that some officers within the ministry are running what he called “a Parallel Ministry of Lands” through the illegal allocation of plots without following due procedures.
According to the minister, a list of names of the implicated officials has already been sent to the Malawi Police Service for action. He said the list includes some senior officers who served under different government administrations, stating that the government will publish their names in local newspapers soon.
Chipungu strictly emphasized that actions will be taken against all perpetrators to facilitate public trust.
Additionally, the minister assured that he will serve Malawians without political affiliation in land management.
