Nkhata Bay residents demand deportation of Tanzanians

There was tension in Nkhata Bay on Saturday as some angry residents demanded the deportation of Tanzanians plying their businesses in the district.
The residents reacted to recent arrests and jailing of Malawians in Tanzania.
Four Tanzanians and one Mozambican citizen had to seek refuge at the district’s police station for their safety.

One of the residents whose cousin has been jailed but asked for anonymity said the Tanzanian Government had acted wrongly.
“We have many Tanzanians staying illegally in the country and their government knows this. It was unfair to treat our relatives like that,” he said.
Nkhata Bay Police Station spokesperson Ignatius Esau confirmed that the five foreign nationals were at the station, but said they had been released.
“They were not arrested, but were here for their security. We later released them because their cases are for the immigration department,” he said.
Meanwhile, police in the district have warned the public against taking the law into their hands, adding that such tendencies would bring unnecessary chaos which may result to loss in property and life. 