Mzimba community descries high cost of injustice in land management

By Victoria Yande

Some communities in Mzimba have spoken against the high cost of accessing justice, particularly in land cases, citing corruption as a contributing factor.

The villagers expressed disappointment in land justice delivery PIC Victoria Yande

Group Village Headman Jeremani Mahowe, under Traditional Authority M'mbelwa, revealed that poor people are struggling to access justice due to bribery and corruption a malpractice propelled by the Chiefs.

He said the people are failing to access justice and hence forced to pay a lot of money in the form of bribe to chiefs, for them to see fair judgement in their land issues.

"The poor are suffering because they cannot afford to bribe the chiefs to access justice and this has led to many people being victimized and denied access to their own. This practice hinders development progress in the district," said Mahowe.

Executive Director for Mzimba Youth Organization organization (MYO), Moses Nkhana, echoed Mahowe's concerns, saying the unfairness has a large impact on women and girls.

Nkhana further emphasized that the expensive costs associated with seeking justice in land cases are a significant barrier for poor communities and the individuals are unable to pay, hence they risk losing their land, perpetuating a cycle of injustice and inequality.

"Corruption and lack of knowledge are major barriers to accessing land ownership, the high cost of seeking justice is also a significant challenge, leading to many communities losing their land,"said Nkhana.

Nkhana called for urgent action to address corruption and ensure equal access to justice for all.

The MYO is currently committed to promoting access to justice and land ownership for vulnerable communities in Mzimba, under the project 'enhancing food security through strengthening tenure Land rights for women' supported by International Land Coalition and Rodden Berry Foundation.