The Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) in conjunction with the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Tuesday demolished structures that are alleged to be illegal in Sector 8 of Lilongwe’s affluent Area 43.
A visit by The Daily Times Tuesday morning revealed the spectacle of angry developers counting their losses.
Some of the people said they were shocked by the decision, claiming that the matter was in court.
MHC Legal Services Manager Okota Mzanda defended the exercise, saying the developers constructed the structures illegally.
According to Mzanda, MHC was only enforcing a 2019 judgement in Mangani and others versus MHC case.
She said the judgement clearly indicated that the land belonged to MHC.
“With that judgement, the people didn’t want to move and the court sent sheriffs in December 2021 to give notices to all the people that this land belongs to MHC. Some moved while others didn’t move.
“So today’s exercise was just an enforcement of that judgement because we have been doing it in phases. We started with the Chatata side and now it’s the Tsoka side,” Mzanda said.
According to Mzanda, the Mangani judgement supersedes whatever application the developers wanted to make on the matter.
The MHC lawyer said the corporation would not compensate the people whose property has been demolished as that was already done.
In a separate interview, Secretary for Lands Davie Chilonga said the government already paid K2 billion compensation for the land.
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