LAND

CHAPTER 57:01
LAND

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
PRELIMINARY

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

PART II
ADMINISTRATION

    3.    Commissioner for Lands

    4.    Duties of the Commissioner

    5.    Delegation of powers by the Minister

    6.    Protection of the Commissioner or authorized officers

PART III
GENERAL

    7.    Categories of land

    8.    Vesting of land

    9.    Prohibition to grant freehold land

    9A.    Access to land

    9B.    No sale of vacant land

    10.    Powers of corporations to hold land

    11.    Land designated for investment purposes

    12.    The Minister may dispose of public land

    13.    Prohibition against disposal of state and official residences

    14.    Interest for delay in payment of rent

PART IV
PUBLIC LAND

    15.    No implied right of entry

    16.    Use and occupation of Government land

    17.    Acquisition of unallocated customary land for public utility

    18.    Compensation to individuals for loss, damage or disturbance

    19.    Conversion of customary land to registered land

    20.    Unlawful use of public land an offence, etc.

    20A.    Land eviction orders

PART V
PRIVATE LAND

    21.    Interest in land which the Minister may grant

    22.    Minister or local government authority may accept surrenders

    23.    Minister or local government authority may relieve from liability to perform covenants, etc.

    24.    Implied covenants in leases

    25.    Power of re-entry by Minister or local government authority

    26.    Exceptions and reservations

    27.    Revision of rent

    28.    Matters to be taken into account

    29.    Procedure on alteration of rent

    30.    Surrender in lieu of revision of rent

    31.    Compensation for improvements on surrender

    32.    Acceptance of rent not to waive breach of covenant

    33.    Authorized officer may distrain

    34.    Service of notices

    35.    Fees

    36.    Prior written consent of the Minister or local government authority before sale, lease, etc., of private land

    37.    Land not to be granted or sold to a person who is not a citizen of Malawi

    38.    

    39.    Failure to develop freehold land

    40.    Gifts of private land between non-citizens

PART VI
USER OF LAND

    41.    Minister’s power to regulate, manage or control the use of land

    42.    Power of entry on land

    43.    Obstruction and penalties

    44.    Vesting of land after termination of right to occupy

    44A.    Lease granted by the Minister to revert to public land

    44B.    Surrender of land upon change of use from agricultural to residential or commercial development

PART VII
TRESPASS OR ENCROACHMENT UPON, OR UNLAWFUL OCCUPATION OF LAND

    45.    Summons for trespass, encroachment or unlawful occupation

    46.    Procedure

PART VIII
MISCELLANEOUS

    47.    Regulations

    48.    Certificate of Minister to be prima facie proof

    49.    Proof of citizenship in relation to land transactions

    50.    Delegation

    51.    Repeal and savings

    52.    Savings with respect to mining and oil exploration and production

16 of 2016
5 of 2022
G.N. 61/2017
24/2022

    An Act to make provision for land in Malawi and for all matters incidental or connected thereto

PART I
PRELIMINARY

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Land Act.

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    “authorized officer” means an officer duly authorized by the Minister for the purposes of this Act or any part thereof;

    “Commissioner” means the Commissioner for Lands;

    “customary estate” means any customary land which is owned, held or occupied as private land within a traditional land management area and which is registered as private land under the Registered Land Act;

    “customary land” means land held, occupied and used in accordance with customary law;

    “customary law” means customary law and practice prevailing in the traditional land management area;

    “freehold” means an estate in land which is held in perpetuity;

    “freehold land” means a fee simple, fee tail or life estate;

    “Government land” means land acquired and owned by the Government, but does not include a public road;

    “land” means the material of the earth, whatever may be the ingredients of which it is composed, whether soil, rock or other substance, and includes the surface covered with water, all things growing on that surface, buildings, other things permanently affixed to land and free or occupied space for an indefinite distance upwards as well as downwards, subject to limitations upon the airspace imposed, and rights in the use of airspace granted by international law;

    “lease” includes an agreement for a lease, and any reference to a lease shall be construed as a reference to a lease granted under this Act or any other written law;

    “local government authority” bears the meaning…