About 138 villagers including under-five children at Traditional Authority (TA) Machinjiri in Blantyre are still homeless 5 days after South Lunzu CCAP of Blantyre Synod demolished their houses for ‘allegedly’ land encroachment.
The church, which is supposed to be a champion of peace, love and forgives, reportedly carried out the ‘un-godly’ acts on Friday night while victims were peacefully sleeping in their homes.
According to sources who opted for anonymity, the church carried out the act with full blessing from a senior top government official who also happens to be a bonafide member of the congregation.
In an interview with Nation Online Blantyre Synod General Secretary admitted to have demolished the houses.
He said the synod demolished the houses following a court order the synod obtained some months ago which ordered the villagers to vacate the ‘encroached’ land.
“Ye, it is a sad story we have demolished their houses, but we could not do otherwise,” said Rev Gama
One of the victims seeking refuge at Namilango Primary School in the area has told the publication that they are much traumatized as a result of the ‘evil acts’ by men in ‘white neck collars’.
“We are traumatized; we have left with nothing, we are as good as dead,” said one of the victims in tears and a very heartbreaking tone; he added: “We have lost property worth millions in the process.”
In a separate interview with one of the victims who happens to be a blood-relation to Traditional Authority Machinjiri said the land which the church claimed the villages have encroached is customary land belonging to the villagers.
“The land legally belongs to the villagers whom the church have evicted; they inherited it from their fore-father Reverend Andrew Kapichi who happens to be the first pastor at the church and first TA Machinjiri,” said the source who opted for anonymity adding: “ the church failed to provide title deed in court surprisingly the court ruled in their favour.”
The anonymous source further said: “South Lunzu CCAP and the whole Blantyre synod have provoked a war which they will not finish; we will fight until we reclaim our customary land back.”
However, Synod’s General Secretary Rev Gama said the synod at several attempts tried to engage the villages peacefully, but peace failed hence resorting into demolishing their houses.
