‘Labour migration fuels GBV in Mzimba’

Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC) director Emma Kaliya saysthe migration of men in Mzimba to South Africa to look for employment is fuelling gender-based violence in the district.

She said this on Friday in Mzimba after the organisation conducted week-long training of traditional leaders, community members and youths as part of this year’s Umthetho Cultural Festival of Mzimba Ngonis.

Kaliya said men trek to South Africa to search for greener pasture leaving children and women vulnerable at home.

She said: “We conducted a survey which shows that there are men who left for South Africa over 15 years ago and have never come back.

“Again, these men marry young girls and leave them with children and go back to South Africa.”

Kaliya asked traditional leaders to work with other stakeholders to address the problem.

In a separate interview, Paramount Chief M’Mbelwa V said many men are migrating to South Africa in the district.

He said that is why this year’s Umthetho Cultural Festival was celebrated under the theme Campaign Against Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons.

“We are equally concerned because when these mengo to South Africa, they stop supporting their families back home,” said M’Mbelwa V.

One of the participants, Margret Phiri, 22, asked government to create jobs for the youth to reverse the trend of men migrating to South Africa.

She said: “Men migrate to South Africa because there are no job opportunities in the country.

“However, government should move in quickly to empower the youth with vocational skills or provide them with loans to start small-scale businesses.”

The training was conducted in partnership with Citizen Alliance and Foundations for Children Rights under the Spotlight Initiative Programme.

The Umthetho Cultural Festival celebrations were held on Saturday and President Lazarus Chakwera graced the occasion.