By Pemphero Malimba:
The government says it has sourced prime land that will be allocated to Malawians who are living in the diaspora as one way of facilitating industrialisation in rural and sub-urban areas in the country.
Lands Minister Deus Gumba said this while responding to a question from Nkhoma Mpenu Member of Parliament Collins Kajawa during parliamentary deliberations in Lilongwe.
Kajawa asked Gumba to identify prime land, at least 300 hectares, and allocate the same to people in the diaspora to enable them to invest in the country as one way of meeting industrialisation goals, as set under the Malawi 2063 vision.
Gumba said the ministry had already identified 200 hectares in Area 54, Lilongwe; 80 hectares in Blantyre; and 50 hectares in Dunduzu area, Mzuzu City.
He said the ministry had also identified some pieces of land in Chipoka [Salima District] and Bangula in Nsanje District, among other areas.
“People in the diaspora are free to come to the country because there is plenty of land they can develop,” he said.
Gumba said he expected the Ministry of Finance to allocate funds towards paying compensation to affected Malawians in the identified lands.
According to Gumba, the ministry needs K9 billion to pay compensation to people in Area 50, Lilongwe, and K3 billion for those in Dunduzu, Mzuzu, as the one in Blantyre was government land where there was no need to compensate people.
KAJAWA— Malawians should be thinking of industrialisation“We are requesting the Ministry of Finance to provide the K9 billion and the K3 billion for compensation because, as you are aware, the law says you cannot just allocate land without paying compensation,” he said.
In an interview, Kajawa said it was crucial for Malawians in the diaspora to invest back home.
“It is important on account of three things; the people need to go back to where they belong and invest where they come from; the Malawians have been exposed to things outside the country; and there is also the need to just come back home. Malawians should be thinking of industrialisation as a priority,” he said.
A recent feasibility study, which was conducted with support from the International Organisation for Migration, on diaspora engagement for enhanced investment proposed the establishment of a diaspora housing scheme and agriculture infrastructure scheme to encourage members of the Malawian community in various countries to invest more in the country’s real estate and agriculture sectors.
