Land has become one of the most contested resources throughout Africa.
This problem is mostly pronounced in those countries that inherited
colonial laws that governed land ownership, access and use. Most
countries in the SADC region, Malawi inclusive, are still grappling with
challenges of land and agrarian reforms, more so as they impact on
equity, food security and poverty reduction issues. A number of factors
have been attributed to the current challenges facing land and agrarian
reforms in Malawi. These Include:
- Conflicts arising from the customary and contemporary laws
regarding land ownership and distribution;
- Challenges arising from the establishment of estates land;
Rural urban migration which creates a heavy demand for urban land;
- Inappropriate policies and legislation governing land ownership
(tenure), distribution and use;
Intellectual Property Rights and their implication on poor and
landless;
- Lack of appropriate models for land acquisition and equitable
distribution.
The challenges can be grouped around the following thematic areas:
land distribution, land utilization, land tenure, land administration
and land adjudication. All these factors have a profound impact on food
security and poverty reduction. Engaging a broader spectrum of
stakeholders to influence land and agrarian reform strategies in the
country is one key strategy that is expected to minimize future
conflicts around land. Thus the main objective of the Support to Land
and Agrarian Reform Project is to “ Influence Land and Agrarian Reforms
in Malawi ”, in order to:
- Address the colonial imbalances currently existing in the land
ownership
- Review the customary laws governing land ownership and
distribution and improve access to the landless
- Advocate for pro-poor land policies with a thrust towards poverty
reduction
- Facilitate the establishment of institutional framework that are
supportive of people-centered land and agrarian reforms (credit
facilities, extension services, infrastructure development)
- Up-scaling and replication throughout the region of best practices
and approaches employed by different countries implementing agrarian
and land reforms.
The project is being implemented in six other SADC countries, namely
Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. |
