In the heart of Malawi, a shocking story of corruption and exploitation has come to light.
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has blown the whistle on a scandalous case of theft and intimidation, perpetrated by officials from the Balaka District Council Lands Office.
According to Sylvester Namiwa, Executive Director of CDEDI, “This is a classic case of corruption and abuse of power.
The officials involved must be held accountable for their actions.”
The story begins with the granting of a mining license to Portland Cement Malawi Limited, a Chinese company, to operate in Chikhumbe Hill, Balaka District.
As a result, landowners and lawful occupiers of the project site were supposed to be compensated and relocated.
However, only one side of the affected group received unfair compensation, with no mention of relocation.
Details have emerged that the Balaka District Council Compensation assessment and compensations team, led by Mr. Joseph Flugensio, used strong-arm tactics to force affected people to sign documents they didn’t understand.
The team also denied them the opportunity to negotiate during the assessment.
To add insult to injury, the team confiscated initial assessment receipts, claiming they had erred in their valuations and calculations.
The affected individuals were then presented with new receipts, reflecting a 30% cut in compensation.
The case of Mr. Sumani Chiwaya is a stark example of the corruption and exploitation faced by the affected communities. Mr. Chiwaya was initially awarded MK 28,024,800.00 in compensation, but received only MK 20,067,500.00.
Similarly, Mr. Goodson Chiwaya was awarded MK 14,870,190.00, but received only MK 10,175,315.00.
“These cases represent a disheartening story of over 100 households that have lost their birthplace and lifetime business, paving the way for this project,” said Namiwa.
CDEDI has demanded that the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Lands, takes action against the Balaka District Council Lands officials within seven days.
Failure to do so will prompt CDEDI to write to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to commence criminal proceedings against Mr. Flugensio and his colleagues.
As Namiwa emphasized, “It is our considered view that if this case is not pursued to its logical conclusion, then as a nation, we will be setting a precedent where unsuspecting communities will be deprived of their land and business opportunities, and eventually turn destitute.”
The people of Malawi deserve justice, and it’s time for those responsible to be held accountable.
