Malawi24 has discovered that some politicians and officials working at the Balaka District Council, particularly in the Lands Office, are fueling demands for the removal of District Commissioner (DC) Tamanya Harawa by people from Ng’onga, under Senior Chief Nsamala in Balaka.
Our investigation revealed that these politicians and officials are financially supporting individuals pushing for Harawa’s removal. They are covering transport costs for those travelling to the district council offices and providing funds for food.
“This issue is frustrating because we already received compensation from Portland Cement Limited for the land they acquired. All of this happened before Harawa was even posted here; he was not in Balaka at the time. Therefore, demanding his removal is unfair,” said some individuals who spoke anonymously at the Balaka District Council offices.
Commenting on the matter, governance expert James Tembo, a lecturer at a university in Mozambique, advised the concerned individuals to follow proper procedures if they want their grievances addressed.
“These people need proper guidance. The right step is to submit a formal complaint to the Ministry of Lands or the country’s leadership. Forcing the District Commissioner to leave will not help them because he was not in office when the compensation process took place,” said Tembo.
He also emphasized that before accepting and agreeing to compensation, people should thoroughly assess the process to ensure fairness.
Tembo further suggested that another appropriate step would be for the affected individuals to take their grievances to a court of law.
Malawi24 has also discovered that Harawa has blocked all avenues within the council where dubious deals were previously being conducted.
Some residents of Ng’onga Village have been staging demonstrations, demanding the removal of DC Tamanya Harawa, arguing that he is not assisting them in securing additional compensation beyond what they have already received.
