(NYASATIMES) Salima chiefs cross with MPs over foreign traders

Salima chiefs cross with MPs over foreign traders
By Nyasa Times
Published: July 19, 2009

Tempers flared during a district development committee meeting in Salima when some Members of Parliament said they favour the idea of stamping out foreign traders especially Rwandese and Burundian nationals from the district to protect the market for local traders, a thing that irked traditional leaders who were opposed to the idea.

The situation was ignited when the chairperson of the committee, who is also the District Commissioner, Gift Rapozo told the meeting, comprising ten Traditional Authorities and four members of Parliament that he had received two petitions from two groups of local traders; one asking him to evacuate foreign traders from the district and the other asking him to let them (foreign traders) stay.

The chiefs, led by senior chief Ndindi, T/As Kambwiri, Khombedza and Bibi Kuluunda said they would like to see the foreign traders remain in the district claiming they were taking part in developing the district and making available cheaper merchandise.

“The foreigners are helping in developing our district as they are investing in infrastructure development and their goods are cheaper in most cases,” said Ndindi.

“Local businessmen failed to successfully trade in and develop rural areas even after government had removed the Indians from these areas, so this new cry is nonsense,” charged Ndindi.

Chief Kuluunda said to chase the foreigners on the bases that they have slightly a better business capital compared to Malawians is xenophobic and cannot assist local businesses in any way.

Khombedza and Kambwiri said Malawian business persons were failures and ought not take the presence of foreigners as an excuse for this state of affairs.

“These people are not doing illegal business so they should stay, otherwise if they were in illegal business, we could have been the first people to ask them to leave,” said Kambwiri.

Taking his turn MP for Salima South East, Kilioni Kufuna irked the chiefs when he blatantly said the foreigners should go whatever the case so that the market is protected for the betterment of the local traders.

“It does not matter that they sale at cheaper prices or they help orphans and other poor people, they should go because businesses of our children are suffering,” said Kufuna.

In response, a highly charged Chief Kuluunda said the MP has no heart to assist the poor and orphans in his area.

“Indeed you cannot appreciate what these people are doing as you yourself has no heart to help orphans and the oppressed, you have failed to support orphans in need of school fees which the foreigners have managed to,” said Kuluunda.

The meeting finally agreed to meet the two petitioners on July 25, this year to hear their stories and chart the way forward.

The foreign traders are said to have taken a big step in their social responsibility where last month they paid K300, 000 school fees for orphaned students at Chipoka and Salima Secondary Schools.

Other T/As present at the meeting were Kambalame, Mwanza, Maganga, Msosa, Kalonga and Pemba.–Mana