Relations between Malawi and Tanzania have grown increasingly strained over territorial claims, following the release of a joint study highlighting significant confusion among border communities about land ownership.
The report, titled Adjudication and Demarcation of Land Parcels in Cross-Border Areas – A Case of Malawi-Tanzania Border at Songwe-Nkhanga, reveals that 11.11% of surveyed land parcels are misidentified by landowners regarding their country of jurisdiction.
Conducted by the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences and Tanzania’s Ardhi University, the study focused on a 9.6-kilometer section of the 475-kilometer border. It found instances of parcels overlapping the international boundary and others being wrongly attributed to one country or the other.
“The findings highlight a significant lack of awareness about the actual boundary among local communities, complicating efforts to implement land reform,” the report noted.
The area is predominantly owned by Malawians, who account for 78.3% of landowners. However, cultural ties and intermarriages with Tanzanians have further muddled landholding and registration processes.
The study recommends bilateral agreements to harmonize legal frameworks and address inconsistencies in land registration, aiming to prevent further disputes.
This confusion adds to ongoing tensions over Lake Malawi, a resource-rich area both nations claim. Earlier this year, Tanzania escalated the dispute by constructing Mbamba Bay Port on contested waters and introducing school maps depicting a revised border along the lake’s upper half.
Malawi’s Parliamentary Committee on International Relations Chairperson Patrick Bandawe has called for urgent negotiations to resolve the disputes peacefully. However, international relations expert Sherif Kaisi urged Malawi to adopt a firmer stance. “We must insist the territory is ours and defend our borders resolutely,” he stated.