A land dispute in Nkhotakota Boma involving property owner Ibrahim Swed and alleged encroachers has taken a political turn following allegations that the District Commissioner (DC), Ben Ntonho, was pressured to make an unlawful decision.
Sources allege that the encroachers, including Ayinani Habibu James, sought assistance from an MCP councillor and district chairperson, Fitoni Khofi, who allegedly pushed the DC to cancel Swed’s land ownership, claiming the encroachers were among the main sponsors of his 2025 election campaign.
Legal experts say that such action, if undertaken, has no basis in law and would violate Section 28(1) and (2) of Malawi’s Constitution, which protects property rights.
It is further alleged that during a confrontation, Khofi compelled the DC, who is also reported to have been promoted under the MCP administration, to issue a written directive cancelling Swed’s ownership, a move legal analysts describe as unlawful and procedurally invalid.
Soon after, Khofi allegedly went on air at Nkhotakota Radio Station to question Swed’s ownership of the land despite the existence of valid ownership documents, a role observers say should ordinarily be handled by the council spokesperson.
Under the Land Act of 2016, local councils have no authority to revoke legally registered land, with their powers limited to administrative actions such as temporarily sealing property for non-payment of rates.
Sources further allege that the dispute may be politically motivated, citing Swed’s past criticism of the former administration and alleged links to the sponsorship of some members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), though these claims remain unverified.
Efforts to obtain comment from the District Commissioner and the councillor were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
