13 Malawian children detained in Mozambique

Police in Moatize and Tete districts of Mozambique are detaining 13 Malawian children, some as young as six, on suspicion that a Zimbabwean national—only identified as Blessings—had trafficked them on the pretext that he would organise a Christmas party for them.

Mwanza district commissioner (DC) Gift Rapozo said in an interview yesterday that the detained children—whose ages range from 6 to 20—come from Makwinja Village, Traditional Authority Chikowi in Zomba District.

Rapozo said the Zimbabwean—married to a Malawian woman Evelyn Kasiya from Makwinja Village—has also been detained at Tete Prison where he is expected to answer a charge of child trafficking.

The DC, who confessed he learned about the issue when Weekend Nation sought his comment, said the children left Zomba on December 22 2014 and passed through Tsangano to Mozambique ‘without immigration documents’, thereby raising suspicion of possible trafficking.

“I was on leave, but after cross-checking with station officer for Mwanza Police a short while ago, I can now confirm that 13 Malawian children are being detained in Tete and Moatize districts in Mozambique. I’m told the suspected trafficker beat the local immigration system only to be arrested in Mozambique,” explained Rapozo.

He said the children have been split into two groups with one group spending their Christmas and New Year time in prison while the other group had theirs in orphanages depending on age.

Mwanza Police station officer, Elenata Majamanda, confirmed being approached by their Mozambican counterparts to arrange for repatriation of the children.

But Majamanda said they could not commit themselves [to the proposal] because they had not yet found out where the children ‘had been trafficked from’.

“The alleged trafficker did not pass through Mwanza Border. We, therefore, referred the issue to the Zomba DC where these children are said to be coming from. We wanted authorities in Zomba to establish first the exact home of these children before we could commit ourselves to the rescue and repatriation exercise,” she narrated.

But the DC for Zomba, Bennet Nkasala, expressed ignorance about the issue when called yesterday.

Said Nkasala: “I’m hearing about the issue from you. I don’t even know if there is an issue that authorities in Mwanza have referred to our office recently.”

But a short while later, a man claiming to be an uncle to Blessings’ wife—Stuart Jokala of Mwakwinja Village—went to Mwanza Police with a letter allegedly from the DC, asking Mwanza Police and Immigration officials to facilitate the release of the children.

Jokala said the children had indeed gone to Mozambique where Blessings is running a chain of businesses to celebrate Christmas.

“He’s indeed my son-in-law. I, however, don’t know why he decided to use unchartered routes,” he said in an interview

Jokala was, however, tongue-tied when asked to provide the surname of the man he claims to be his son-in-law.

But Nkasala maintained that he was not aware of the issue. He also indicated that he did not issue the letter Jokala took to Mwanza Police.

While commending the Mozambican police for arresting Blessings, Minister of Gender, Child Welfare and Community Services, Patricia Kaliati, said she would instruct District Social Welfare Office (Mwanza) to investigate the issue to ensure the ‘suspect’ gets appropriate punishment.

Said Kaliati: “This is pure child trafficking and we can’t just let him go cot-free. If he doesn’t get an appropriate punishment in Mozambique, we’ll ensure he gets it here. Parents of these children, too, will face justice for negligence. How can they keep quiet on a sensitive issue like this?”

Principal Secretary for Gender, Child Welfare and Community Services, Dr. Mary Shawa, said yesterday that child trafficking remains a serious problem in Malawi.

But Shawa could not provide statistics, saying government is yet to compile a comprehensive report on the extent of the problem as studies into the matter are still going on.