The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has started the process towards relocating more than 127 households living at Nthunduwala Camp in Kasungu District after conducting a socio-economic survey.
The survey, conducted on Tuesday, aimed to collect accurate socio-economic data on every household to facilitate an orderly and transparent resettlement process for families who have lived in the makeshift camp for over 13 years.
Acting Commissioner of Valuation Cynthia Chisanu said the information collected would help the government determine the needs of each family, allocate plots appropriately and guide the provision of essential social amenities at the new settlement.
“The information will help government determine the needs of each family, ensure plots are allocated appropriately and guide the provision of essential social amenities at the new settlement,” Chisanu said.
Part of the exercise, officials from the ministry inspected a site located approximately four kilometres from the current camp, which has been earmarked for the resettlement programme.
Traditional Authority Nthunduwala welcomed the development, saying the commencement of the survey had renewed hope among families who have endured years of hardship.
“Residents continue to face serious challenges, including inadequate shelter, food shortages, lack of blankets and poor sanitation,” he said.
The traditional leader said most of the camp residents were former tobacco estate workers who became homeless after losing their livelihoods.
The planned relocation is expected to restore dignity to the affected families by providing them with secure land and an opportunity to improve their livelihoods.
