By Vincent Khonje

Mchinji, February 20, Mana: Authorities in Mchinji have responded to an issue where 39 Malawians were stranded after being sent back home from a farm in Mozambique.

Eighteen of the people, who are children, were forced to travel on foot from a farm in Mozambique, where they were working in.

According to Chimkute Walazi, from Mwansambo Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Kayembe in Dowa, who led the group from the farm, they found themselves in Mozambique as tenants working on a tobacco farm after being picked from Dowa in August last year.

Walazi said on Saturday, however, they were caught unawares when their employer told them that he can no longer keep them on the farm because of dry spells that have affected productivity on the farm.

“We were picked on a vehicle from Dowa in August last year and we were promised that we will work on a farm in Mchinji but it transpired that we had to go to Mozambique where the farm is,” said Walazi.

Walazi said after being told to leave, they had no choice but to pick up their belongings and travel on foot from Mozambique and reached Namizana Border on Sunday where officers helped them and facilitated their movement to Mchinji Boma.

At Mchinji Boma, they were welcomed by authorities, including the police and the social welfare office, who provided shelter and food.

On Monday, the District Commissioner (DC) for Mchinji, Lucia Chidalengwa, provided food for the people and also secured fuel which was used to take the stranded people to their respective homes.

District Social Welfare Officer Joyce Malika said the group had nothing on them, as their employer did not even give them any payment upon severing their agreement.

Malika said the group has been supported and has since been sent to their respective homes in Dowa and Lilongwe.

“As an office, we also gave them some counselling since they were in a bit of trauma because of what has happened, after that they were taken to their homes,” said Malika.

Apart from the DC providing support to the stranded people, a well-wisher, a Mchinji businessman Wells Musa, donated a bag of maize and soya pieces to each family as a starter pack when they get home.