Caucus gives govt two weeks to relocate refugees

By Ken Janah

The Northern Region based Mzuzu City Youth Caucus (MCYC) has given government up to March 31, 2023 to see progress on relocation or refugees otherwise they will help the state to do the “needful”.

In a letter that is in our possession and signed by MYC Chairperson Gomezgani Nkhoma, the grouping is tired of mere political rhetoric that are evidenced in the time frame taken to have the action on the matter.

For instance, Nkhoma has cited failure to clarify as to what exactly prompted Homeland Security Ministry raise the budget for this exercise from K300, 000.00 to K1.2 million as an example for the call of action.

“We regret to say that there was no tangible feedback from your office on the issues we had raised to assure Malawians that you are on top of things. This left our tongues wagging that the whole Homeland Security machinery is corrupted for it intentionally allows illegal foreigners thrive at the expense of indigenous Malawians,” reads the letter.

Failure by government to handle the matter with the urgency it deserves, Nkhoma has vowed not to delay but mobilise concerned Malawians.

“Any delay, we will have no choice but to handle the matter our own way to protect our already dwindling social services, protect our land, businesses, lives and all minerals being exploited by foreigners,” he says.

A sign that government is still on the matter, Homeland Security Minister responsible Ken Zikhale Ng’oma on March 5, 2023 when speaking at a development rally in Mzimba told the masses that will soon undertake an operation dubbed “Sesani” whereby law enforcement agencies will storm every corner of this country to round up all foreigners staying in those areas without proper documents and of course those operating unwarranted businesses.

Even when the Minister promised the anticipated action, Nkhoma says there is overwhelming evidence that the current Tonse Alliance administration is full of rhetoric speakers and opportunists.

Nkhoma says the fact is evident based on the fact that former Minister of Homeland Security failed miserably to deliver the very promise made by the incumbent to the people of northern region.

“While we do not think that you are one of those rhetoric speakers, we find it very important that we give you a timeline during which we expect action on Operation Sesani. We expect immediate action on the operation and we expect that the exercise of relocating all refugees residing illegally in our localities to the designated refugee centres to be concluded by 31 March, 2023,” says Nkhoma.

Adding that his organisation will continue with the exercise of mobilizing Malawians to take over this humble task should there be no any tangible actions on the Operation Sesani by the date indicated.

He has since said Zikhale deserves an We applause should he really meant exactly what he said during a development rally.

“For that, as Mzuzu City Youth Caucus and other Concerned Malawians, we intend to rally behind you should you roll out this long awaited but very urgent activity as announced,” says Nkhoma.

According to Nkhoma, is sad that Malawia as a nation is sick of being poor because of few heartless individuals who connive with foreigners to loot the hardly earned resources.

MCYC on January 9, 2023, also wrote Homeland Security Minister seeking an explanation as to why the ministry was delaying rolling out of refugees’ relocation exercise to designated places despite the fact that the court had lifted an injunction which refugees took restraining the State from executing it and that government had already allocated funding for the exercise.

The letter further sought clarity on allegations that your predecessor received kickbacks to derail this important campaign.