Zambian chief wants Malawians kicked out of the country

Chief Chanje of the Chewa people in Chipata Zambia has asked the country’s government to give Malawians living in his area an ultimatum so that they relocate to Malawi.

In an interview with a local publication at his headquarters in Chipata, Chief Chanje said Zambians were given up to July last year to leave Malawi after the redefinition of the Zambia-Malawi border.

“My complaint is that after the redefinition of the borderline between Zambia and Malawi, some Zambian families found themselves in Malawi and vice versa. Now the Zambians who found themselves on the Malawian side were ordered to relocate sometime back and they obliged but we have not done that to Malawians. Now the coming of my people who were on the Malawian side has put pressure on me to look for farming land. So that’s why I want these Malawians to go back to their country,” chief Chanje said.

He said he wants to put Zambians on the land which Malawians are utilising for farming.

He said: “I was advised to write a letter, which I did and I wrote a letter to government through the office of our district commissioner. My request is that government should write them (Malawians) letters so that they vacate the area. We want government to handle this matter urgently because my people who came from Malawi are stranded.”