MATAKWALAO CHIEFS TO LAUNCH 5-YEAR LAND PROGRAM
A map of North Malaita. Photo credit: SIBC.
The Matakwalao Council of Chief in North Malaita will launch its five-year program, the Land Dispute Free 2020 this week.
The five-year plan is an initiative to assist the National and Provincial Governments to address land disputes in the region.
Chief David Suata told SIBC News, the program is an initiative by traditional and tribal leaders to seek collaborative means to effectively deal with land disputes.
Chief Suata said, advocating for a land dispute free North Malaita is the core program for 2016.
“For this year we are just trying to start it off and then next year they’ll be looking at tribal recognition as this year is just the identification of tribes and to promote the idea as it would create recognition among tribes once it became a well-established idea.”
The North Malaita Chief adds, the ‘Land Dispute Free 2020’ will be recognised as a North Malaita Community Government Day which falls on 21st July annually.
The initiative is sponsored by the Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the North Malaita Constituency.