Malawi Hunger : People begin stealing cassava tubers to survive

As more than 8 million people in the country are struggling with hunger, some people in Nkhotakota district are stealing cassava tubers from others’ farms to survive.

According to information that Malawi24 has gathered,  people are invading cassava farms of their fellow villagers in Thandaza, Nkhandwe and Kapanga villages in Nkhotakota district.

Malawi24 has found out that these people are not having any source of food hence breaking laws of the country by stealing these cassava tubers.

One of the complainants Mrs Amina Seleman told Malawi24 that she suffered her fate on Thursday in the wee hours when she went to her cassava farm.

Mrs Seleman said that this has been happening frequently but this time the level of stolen cassava tubers have increased.

“Indeed people have no hope on where to find food but the method that they are using of stealing from their fellows is unacceptable. I hope authorities will intervene in this challenge as soon as possible,” said Seleman.

“More than 6 people have had their cassava cassava tubers stolen in their farms in a period of one month,” Seleman added.

Nkhotakota is one of the districts where  people rely on Cassava tubers as their staple food.

Communities are worried with the situation right now.

Currently the country purchased maize from Zambia and Brazil but government raised the price of buying per kilogram in Admarc depots, a move that has seen people resort to buying from vendors who are selling the maize at a rather lower price.

Communities in Nkhotakota are pleading with the government to reduce the maize price per Kilogram to allow people who are poor to buy.

President Peter Mutharika has been saying now and again that no Malawian will die due to current hunger situation.