Eleven farm workers are stranded in Mzimba District after their employers allegedly abandoned them at the Mbalachanda area.
The situation has raised serious concerns about the treatment of migrant farm workers who are recruited to work far from their home districts.
Mzimba District Labour Officer Edward Shaffie confirmed that his office has taken in the affected workers. He said such cases are becoming increasingly common, particularly involving workers brought in from other districts and later left without pay, transport, or assistance to return home.
“Just last week, we recorded five similar cases. The problem is growing, and we usually register more than five cases every week,” Shaffie told Malawi24.
He added that the situation is putting immense pressure on the district’s already limited resources.
Shaffie has appealed to well-wishers and other stakeholders to assist his office in facilitating the workers’ return to their home districts, noting that the labour office lacks sufficient funds to cope with the rising number of cases.
One of the affected workers, Hastings Banda from Ntcheu District, said he was recruited in August last year to work at Mbalachanda near the Mzimba–Zambia border. He explained that the employer failed to honour the agreement, leaving the workers without money or transport.
Mzimba District Social Welfare Officer Bernard Nangwale also warned that abandoned workers face serious risks, including hunger, illness, and exploitation.
He stressed the need for coordinated efforts to protect vulnerable workers and ensure that employers who violate labour laws are held accountable.
