Lundazi District Commissioner, Marjorie Banda, says redefining and remapping of the Zambia-Malawi border line had been long overdue.

Ms Banda notes that the undefined borders between the two countries has continued to affect brotherly harmony between the two states.

She has observed that hostility has been birthed resulting in loss of lives and property between communities residing along the border lines.

Speaking today when a team of land surveyors from Zambia and Malawi paid a courtesy call on her, the District Commissioner highlighted the need to re-align the boundary in order to foster harmony.

“Issues to do with the border between Zambia and Malawi had been a challenge over the years as it has resulted in arrests and killings, to an extent that even livestock get arrested for grazing on the Malawian side,” the she stated.

Ms Banda urged the joint land surveyor team to consider offering both countries a service through improving strained relationships by re-defining the border line between the two sister countries. 

And Assistant Surveyor General, Jonathan Kaoma, has appreciated the challenges that had been long standing following the verbal description of the borderline between the two countries by colonial governments from both countries.

Mr Kaoma said the concept of give-and-take would be applied as the borderline is occupied by people on both sides.

He said the team would be assessing and validating approved areas by both governments before realignment of boundaries is conducted.

He said an attempt was made in 2012 to mark the boundary by putting beacons, however, encroachments had continued, which has resulted in disharmony between the two states.

Mr Kaoma said the team will be considering a stretch of about 780 kilometres along the Zambia-Malawi borderline in addition to the 200 km which was worked on earlier.

He has since called for calm among the communities along the border and to remain where they are during the whole process.

Meanwhile, a Malawian Surveyor General, Masida Mbano, has stated that boundary realignment would not affect protected areas such as national parks and features that are of security in nature on either side.

He stated that the satellite imagery would be used to match with what is physically on the ground.