Mota Engil has been quarantining black workers who have travelled within Malawi but does not treat non-black workers in the same manner.
According to a source, all local workers who return to the company premises after travelling to other areas within the country are ordered to stay in hostels.
The quarantined employees for the Portuguese owned are also barred from meeting their family members.
“Anyone who goes out of this place will be quarantined. But white people are free to drive out using company’s cars without any query,” said the source adding that this is being championed by a Portuguese employee identified as Andrea Barbossa.
In a related development, the company has been forced to relocate another difficult official who assaulted a cook and an engineer.
The official identified as Imad, a Lebanese national, slapped the cook when the junior employee offered him fruits.
Imad also assaulted a Malawian engineer and another employee. After the issue was reported to company bosses in Portugal, Imad was fired.
“Imad is now at Zalewa offices with his son as he cannot leave the country immediately due to travel restrictions,” the source said.
Mota Engil is an international construction company and is usually awarded big contracts in the country. Over the past year, there have been concerns that the company employs foreigners for junior positions.
