CDEDI asks for ACB, Ombudsman to investigate K3.5bln MHC land saga

The controversial construction of the houses at Ngumbe in Blantyre

* Demands immediate audit to confirm construction cost of 65 houses pegged at K54 million each

* All officials involved in the cover up of the Surveyor General’s report should be investigated and prosecuted

* MHC to comply with previous court determinations which were made in favour of Chitseko Estate Limited

* Demands immediate resignation of MHC’s CEO Jordan Chipala for the shameful mess

By Duncan Mlanjira

Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has asked the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Office of the Ombudsman to consider investigating circumstances that led Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) to build 65 houses on private land.

CDEDI also demands the two institutions to probe that the staggering cost of K3.5 billion for the construction project of 65 dwelling units at K54 million each on private land at Ngumbe in Blantyre — which belongs to Chitseko Estate Limited.

It also asks that all the top government and MHC officials that are involved in the cover up of the Surveyor General’s report should be investigated and prosecuted and that MHC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jordan Chipala should immediately resign — “under whose watch the Corporation has gotten into a shameful mess”.

The civil society organisation (CSO) further demands the re-instatement of acting Commissioner for Lands, Euphonia Botha who was punished for sharing the contents of the Surveyor General’s report with Chitseko Estate Limited.

It also demands the immediate resignation of MHC Legal Manager, Okota Mzanda, to pave the way for thorough investigations on reports that he advised the MHC to cover up the Surveyor General’s report.

In considering to investigate the scandal, the ACB and the Ombudsman should look on the loan of MK6.5 billion obtained by the MHC, the contracts awarded, and how the money was used.

“Lastly, but not the least, CDEDI is challenging the Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa and his deputy Abida Mia not bury their heads in the sand at this critical moment when Malawians are looking for answers from MHC,” says the CSO’s executive director, Sylvester Namiwa in a statement he issued at a press conference held in Lilongwe on Monday.

“Right from the onset, Malawians from various sectors of the society have expressed mixed reactions on the revelations that the MHC has constructed the houses on a land that is not theirs.

“The results of a fact finding mission conducted by CDEDI have collaborated with information contained in a whistle blower’s letter from the Corporation, which shows that the MHC’s own technical team — comprising the Principal Surveyor Alick Chirwa, the Projects Manager Davis Kwanjana, Corporate Secretary Bob Chimkango, the Estate Officer Rodney Nankuyu, and a Mr. Haliwa and other officials conducted a boundary verification exercise prior to the commencement of the project.

“The team reportedly advised the corporation not to proceed with the project since it was clear that the MHC did not own the land.

“It is further reported that the Surveyor and the Project Manager drew alternative plans to make sure the houses would be built within the correct boundaries of the MHC’s land.”

CDEDI contends that a team further advised management, including CEO Chipala “that the corporation would lose a lot of money and risked demolition of the houses if they constructed on Chitseko’s land”.

“Sadly, such professional advice and alternative plans were reportedly shot down by the Corporations Legal Manager Okota Mzanda, on grounds that building the houses elsewhere would be deemed as ‘conceding defeat.’

“At this point, it was very clear that the MHC was aware that they did not own the land, and yet they still continued with the construction of the houses.

“Sensing foul play,” continues Namiwa, “Chitseko Estate Limited sounded an SOS and the issue started heating up. MHC officials were summoned to the Ministry of Lands in October 2020 where they were told that a report by the Surveyor General had ‘sadly’ found that the houses were built on land that did not belong to MHC.

“CDEDI is aware that a meeting was convened in Lilongwe over the matter, chaired by the former Principal Secretary Bernard Sande, where instructions were issued against the release of the Surveyor General’s report.

“Unfortunately, Chitseko Estate Limited had already been made aware about the contents of the report by the office of the Commissioner for Lands, a development that led to a disciplinary action which was meted out against the Acting Commissioner for Lands, Euphemia Botha.”