Lilongwe City Council on Saturday took a bold step to demolish the Controversial warehouses which Malawians of Indian origin built at Livimbo against set up rules of Town and Planning. According to the council, it did not authorize construction of the building owned by Indian businessman Nurmahomed Ahmed.
Indian and Chinese businesses who store their goods in the warehouse were given two hours from around 8 O’clock in the morning to remove their goods before the city council brought in heavy machinery to carry out the demolition exercise.
However lawyer representing the businessman Ishmael Wadi, has told journalists that he is grieved with the development.
Wadi said he already appealed against the demolition order not to be effected but he said he was surprised that the council has taken such direction. “I will seek court redress of course we will sit down first with our clients but definitely we will take legal redress.” he said
Senior officials from Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development were shocked following revelations that Regional Commissioner of Lands Mohammed Selemani wrote a letter to the District Education Manager informing them that Livimbo Primary and Secondary school campuses encroached the Tittle 2/239 which in actual sense was false because according to a 1961 map, the said property belongs to school.
Last month, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Vuwa Kaunda ordered the demolition of the multimillion kwacha warehouse saying it was illegally constructed.
Kaunda said Ahmed encroached the school land in 2017 and had been served eviction orders on several occasions but continued with the construction of the warehouses.
In the letter dated 3 July 2017, Selemani hinted that there was need for the school to find an alternavive means since the Indian wants to start developing the land.
Parliamentary Committees on Education and Legal Affairs have been demanding documents from the Ministry of Lands detailing proprietary rights of the land.
The committees are expected to meet again on Monday next week to further hear more from lands officials.
The demolition exercise has opened another chapter is as far as legal battles are concerned asWadi claimed that his client has all the necessary papers but he said his clients were ready to modify the buildings to a light warehouses.
