The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has written the Thyolo District Council demanding that the planned sale and allocation of land at Nantipwiri Estate be suspended until after the September 16 elections.

In a letter addressed to District Commissioner (DC) Hudson Kuphanga and copied to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), CDEDI Executive Director, Sylvester Namiwa, accused the council of “secretly processing applications for land allocations before advertising the exercise.”

Namiwa reminded the district council that the Nantipwiri land was once part of the Mbandaga, and Dondi Estate, and urged authorities to “treat the matter with the highest level of accountability.”

“According to our findings, the land has already been divided into low, medium and high-density residential plots, and an advert is expected to be floated soon to cover up what is almost a complete process,” Namiwa claimed.

He warned that handling land issues without transparency risks eroding public trust, especially in Thyolo, which is already facing widespread landlessness.

"If the council proceeds with the allocations amid corruption allegations and in the absence of a fully functioning council, the move will face stiff resistance from the people of Thyolo,” he cautioned.

However, DC Hudson Kuphanga dismissed CDEDI’s concerns, arguing that the organisation had not conducted enough research.

“CDEDI has not done enough research to establish what is on the ground regarding the matter. The ACB is free to come forth and investigate,” Kuphanga said.

The Nantipwiri land issue has a long history. While in power, former president Dr. Joyce Banda once told people to start cultivating the land — an order that later sparked legal battles with the council. However, the people eventually lost in court due to lack of documentation.