Police probe case of exchangingsex with AIP fertiliser in Mchinji

Police have launched an investigation into a case in which a 20-year-old girl was allegedly forced to offer sex to buy Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) fertiliser at Mkanda SFFRFM depot in Mchinji.

National police spokesperson Peter Kalaya could not be reached for comment at press time yesterday, but last week he urged the girl to report to police so that they start investigating it.

But in an interview on Thursday, gender activist Ackim Bwanali confirmed that two managers from Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) went to Mkanda on a fact-finding mission on Tuesday.

He said: “Two senior managers from SFFRFM came to ask me some questions. Later, I took them to meet the girl for further interrogation.

“Thereafter, we went to Mkanda Police Unit to report the matter. [Wednesday] morning, we returned to police for further interrogation as well as to visit the scene of crime.”

Bwanali said SFFRFM officials were depressed to hear how the girl was abused.

“They were disappointed at the girl’s report and indicated the need to redesign their system because such incidents will dent the image of the fund,” he said.

Mkanda Coalition of Women Farmers (Cowfa) chairperson Maidesi Nyalubwe confirmed the incident on Thursday.

“I was part of the group that took them to meet the girl and later, took her to the police to have her statement recorded,” she said.

Last agriculture season, Nyalubwe said Cowfa received several reports of similar incidents.

“These incidents are common here. Last year, we got so many reports and it was resolved that no girl or woman should spend a night at the depot,” she said.

The police investigations follow a story published in Nation on Sunday of April 9 in which the girl complained of having nightmares after a casual labourer at Mkanda SFFRFM depot asked her to sleep with him in order to buy a bag of NPK fertiliser.

“Every night, I am tormented by nightmares that rob me of sleep. As I close my eyes, I still see him, unzipping his trousers to sleep with me again.

“The more I try to fight the nightmares the more they get stronger,” she said.

SFFRFM had not yet responded to our questionnaire they had asked for.

Malawi Human Rights Commission has also shown interest to probe the matter.