Senior Chief Mlumbe of Zomba District says land dispute cases have dropped in his area following the establishment of customary land tribunals under Chingale Catchment Area.
Mlumbe, whose area is part of the Chingale Catchment Area, disclosed this on Monday during a two-day training for Customary Land Tribunals.
Mlumbe said he used to handle at least 15 land disputes in a month before the registration of customary land parcels was implemented.
“The land registration bill has really helped in terms of bringing sanity in the sector. The adjudication process has also allowed family members to inherit and share customary land more fairly, something that was challenging before this initiative. I used to handle between 15 to 20 cases before the registration of customary land parcels begun,” said Mlumbe.
Deputy Commissioner for Lands responsible for land registration, Anthony Nzima, said the ministry has managed to establish over 68, 000 land parcels under the catchment adding that some land owners have already received their land certificates.
“So far, we have been able to register over 68, 000 land parcels, and Chingale is one of the areas where the customary land tribunal was established so that it should assist in adjudication of land disputes in Senior Chief Mulumbe’s area,” he said.
The Ministry of Lands is working closely with communities in ensuring that land rights are not only protected but also equitably distributed, thereby fostering stability and development in rural areas.
