Vol. 8 No. 1 (1999): Nordic Journal of African Studies
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Jailing the Voiceless: Ex-migrant Workers and Population Struggles in Malawi

Wiseman Chijere Chirwa
University of Malawi
Nordic Journal of African Studies

Published 1999-06-30

How to Cite

Chirwa, W. C. (1999). Jailing the Voiceless: Ex-migrant Workers and Population Struggles in Malawi. Nordic Journal of African Studies, 8(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.53228/njas.v8i1.640

Abstract

This article starts with a description of an event and its causes, as reported in the Malawi News, Malawi's leading weekly paper, on March 21st 1998. The event took place at Zomba, the country's colonial capital. The story is that:

two ex-miners, Yusufu Yasini and William Malele, were recently sentenced to seven weeks in jail with hard labour for defying police orders to dismantle roadblocks mounted during a demonstration organized by ex- miners. The demonstration was to show displeasure with the government's reluctance to pay them their dues [sic: deferred payments, remittances and terminal benefits] for working in South Africa years back.... The amount involved is in the region of K270 million [sic: about US$10.8 million]. Similar demonstrations took place in the districts of Mulanje and Nkhota kota [sic: also in Machinga, Mangochi and Salima].