The family of former politician late Elias Kaphwiti Banda has started camping at the Lilongwe Civil Registry in protest against the High Court’s delay to conclude a case they are tussling with former official government hostess Cecelia Tamanda Kadzamira over ownership of Tichitenji Estate in Mchinji.

The family representative, Tapiwa confirmed the development saying they have just spent their first night.

“We have literally slept at the Civil Court premises. We will deliver a petition to the Chief Justice through the Registrar of the Supreme Court and High Court,” she said, adding that they will continue camping there until the case takes shape.

According to court records, late Kaphwiti Banda secured ownership of the 583.771 acres farm in 1967. However, Kadzamira possessed it after the politician had fled into exile having gone into bad books with the one party regime.

She argues that the farm was given to her by former President Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

The Kaphwiti family’s bid to repossess the farm started in 2014 after its investigation led to the discovery of their father’s title deed at the Ministry of Lands.