The tendency by some Malawian men of inviting their wives from Malawi and later disowning them upon arrival in South Africa is sending many of such women into ungodly ways of survival in the foreign land.
One of the victims of the malpractice, Mary Chirwa, confided in this writer that she has been sleeping with different men in the rainbow nation to make ends meet.
“I still do that. I live in a tiny room in Krugersdrop location with three boys. One is from Mozambique. The other from Zimbabwe and the other one is from Machinga, Malawi,” she said.
“They’re these three guys who rescued me from that chilly night. They found me laying in some trenches along the road. I’d nothing for survival. I was defenseless that night.”
Mary flashed back to what had transpired the afternoon before, with great remorse.
“My husband shunned me at the park station. He said, his bosses wouldn’t allow him to enter with a stranger. He left me there without anymore encouraging words. I began wondering in the streets. The night engulfed me and I resorted to sleeping in trenches.”
The husband whom Mary identified as Joel Soko had invited her to South Africa on marital grounds. The guy, being youthful and active, couldn’t contend some body desires and having a wife around became inevitable.
He, therefore, as Mary puts it, arranged for her passports and all other logistics.
“We were communicating all the way till I arrived at the park station. He came, obviously, to pick me to his house. But, he later decided against it. He dumped me there and fled. I had nowhere to seek refuge,” added Mary.
“After dumping me there, his phone lost touch. I tried innumerable times. It couldn’t be reached. It was the worst nightmare.”
Mary disclosed further that there are many women who share her victimization. She claimed that some have indulged in prostitution because of such circumstances.
“So, usually, the man who rescues you from the situation becomes your husband. This is how many women have found themselves in unwanted marriages. It’s risky but, we just have to do this for survival,” she said.
One of the returnees from South Africa, Tobias Longwe, confirmed the development. He said, men capitalize on abandoned women in the foreign land.
“When you hear that people easily marry in South Africa, such are some of the reasons. We’ve several women who are suffering after their husbands dumped them, having invited them to the foreign land,” he said.
Other reports indicate that some men invite their wives to South Africa and sell them as sex slaves in pubs. It is reported, as confirmed, also, by Longwe, that pub owners like Malawian ladies to work in their bars for unknown reasons.
“So, they pay the man service fees. And the woman is also paid of course. It’s drama what happens there. People are struggling to earn a living,” added Longwe.
I blame the protocol of there marriages, you can’t do such thing w without parents and your relatives to know….!
Your have to follow our traditional laws of when u getting married!