Some Malawians working in South Africa are having a tough lockdown as they have been told that they will not get paid during the 21-day lockdown.
Information gathered indicates that some Malawian casual workers in the rainbow nation, who apparently, live a hand to mouth life have already began gnashing teeth because they have nothing to eat.
According to some of the victims who confirmed their destitution to our reporter, most of their masters vowed not to give them any money till they start working again after the lockdown.
George Moyo, from Mzimba, who works as a gardener at a cottage in Meyerton, confided in our reporter that he has nothing to eke on and will likely be starving for 21 days.
“We work and earn. Without working for whatsoever reason. Tangible or intangible. We get no money. So, with the lockdown. It means we’ll not be working hence, we’ll not be earning,” said Moyo.
“My fear, however, is on the rentals,” he added. “Should my landlord be merciless. He will evict me from his house. I’ll have nowhere to go.”
South Africa started a 21-day lockdown as one way of containing the coronavirus with over 1000 recorded cases in the country.
The government announced on Friday that two people had died from the virus in western cape.
maybe your god could give some of that mercy to George moyo, from mzimba. my thoughts with u and everyone eles struggling in this crisis. here’s to it ending quick.
This is happenning to some people indeed bt for me Bright Nambaya from Lilongwe our company give us 2 options…first option was to take our 15 days leave then they will be paying us every week from those 15 days leave until we start working again….second option was to claim the uif fund which uif pays half of our salary every week until we started working again…then as a team we decide to take leave because this lockdown its just a try maybe the government can increase the period then we will claim the uif…now every week we get paid.+ they give us additional 2000 rand for start God is great and my wife is pregnant i could strugle bt God did not want something like that to happen .thank you Lord