Economics and Business Forum

On illegal immigrants and Nairobi holocaust

News that hundreds of Malawians have been expelled from Tanzania as illegal immigrants is shocking but hardly unprecedented in the post-colonial Africa.

In the 1970s, Ghana under the leadership of Dr K.A. Busia expelled thousands of West Africans on the ground that they had not been allowed to enter that country. Generak Ignatius Ache pong overthrew Busia and he in turn was disposed by Jerry Rawlings.

Thereafter, thousands of Ghanaians were expelled from Nigeria where they had gone in the wake of the Nigerian oil boom. The latest large-scale expulsions were launched in South Africa following mounting xenophobia.

In South Africa, the main victims were Mozambique nationals who were killed in cold blood. I wrote on the page of this paper warning the South Africans that they were creating a bad future for themselves vis-à-vis neighbouring countries which had given shelter to their freedom fighters. I pointed out that since Mozambique geographically stretched from the tip of southern Africa to the north east coast, she might have beneath the surface, all the minerals that have made South Africa rich and that next time it might be South Africans who might flock there in search of jobs.

This prediction had looked like wishful thinking at that time. Massive discoveries of gas discoveries in Mozambique marine water have put that country on the high road of development and prosperity. Whereas, South Africa’s growth rates do not go beyond five percent of gross domestic product (GDP), Mozambique regularly registers upwards to eight percent or even higher.

Massive expulsions of illegal immigrants have hardly wiped out unemployment in a host country. African governments should sit down and try to find ways of handling this problem. Many of those who are said to be illegal immigrants are just crossing from one tribal home to another. To them, it does not mean they are foreigners in a town just a small river across.

Much as we regret the suffering that expelled Malawians have been through, we must not forget that from time to time, Malawi’s immigration authorities have also been expelling illegal immigrants from Tanzania and Mozambique.

Some years ago, I cannot remember exactly when, a magistrate at Mzuzu sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour, two women from Zimbabwe and one had a Malawian clan name Banda. I protested at the harshness of the sentence and reminded magistrate and immigration officials that there are millions of people in Zimbabwe whose grandparents went there either as contract labour (mthandizi) or voluntarily. If those people were forced to return to the homes where their great grand parents had come, where shall we find space to resettle them?

African presidents should appreciate the fact that those who were portioning Africa did a good deal of injustice to some Africans by compelling them to belong to a diminished geographical region. Before expelling Malawians, Tanzania expelled Rwandans. Rwanda which used to be part of German East Africa, is less than 10 percent, geographically the size of Tanzania. Few Rwandans like few Malawians can travel more than 200 miles east or westwards without finding themselves in a foreign country.

Beggar-thy-neighbour policies were behind the many wars that constituted European history. After World War I, States in Europe promoted European unity and cooperation. Nearly 70 years have passed without European nations going to war against one another. This is a lesson for Africa.

The death of more than 70 people at a Nairobi shopping mall is cause of concern not just to Kenyans but all other Africans including Malawians. The tactics used by the terrorists are of non-Africa origin.

Hitherto, whenever terrorists attacked or killed American nationals some people thought Americans had provoked the terrorists by supporting rival groups. The terrorist group in Somalia claiming responsibility for the holocaust said it was punishing Kenya for sending troops to Somalia.

We know what prompted Kenya to send troops to Somalia. Terrorists from there had been killing Americans and Israelis resident in Mombasa or Nairobi and, in doing so, they were killing more Kenyans than nationals whom they were targeting.

It is astonishing that Kenya’s security forces could have been caught napping when all along they have known that they were on the blacklist of the terrorists.

What precautionary measures is our government taking? Hardly a month passes without minority Christians and Moslems being slaughtered in some of these countries.

 

 

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Economics and Business Forum

On illegal immigrants and Nairobi holocaust

News that hundreds of Malawians have been expelled from Tanzania as illegal immigrants is shocking but hardly unprecedented in the post-colonial Africa.

In the 1970s, Ghana under the leadership of Dr K.A. Busia expelled thousands of West Africans on the ground that they had not been allowed to enter that country. Generak Ignatius Ache pong overthrew Busia and he in turn was disposed by Rowlings.

Thereafter, thousands of Ghanaians were expelled from Nigeria where they had gone in the wake of the Nigerian oil boom. The latest large scale expulsions were launched in South Africa following mounting xenophobia.

In South Africa, the main victims were Mozambique nationals who were killed in cold blood. I wrote on the page of this paper warning the South Africans that they were creating a bad future for themselves vis-à-vis neighbouring countries which had given shelter to their freedom fighters. I pointed out that since Mozambique geographically stretched from the tip of southern Africa to the north east coast, she might have beneath the surface, all the minerals that have made South Africa rich and that next time it might be South Africans who might flock there in search of jobs.

This prediction had looked like wishful thinking at that time. Massive discoveries of gas discoveries in Mozambique  marine water have put that country on the high road of development and prosperity. Whereas, South Africa’s growth rates do not go beyond five percent of GDP, Mozambique regularly registers upwards to eight percent or even higher.

Massive expulsions of illegal immigrants have hardly wiped out unemployment in a host country. African governments should sit down and try to find ways of handling this problem. Many of those who are said to be illegal immigrants are just crossing from one tribal home to another. To them it does not mean they are foreigners in a town just a small river across.

Much as we regret the suffering that expelled Malawians have been through we must not forget that from time to time, Malawi’s immigration authorities have also been expelling illegal immigrants from Tanzania and Mozambique.

Some years ago, I cannot remember exactly when, a magistrate at Mzuzu sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour, two women from Zimbabwe and one had a Malawian clan name Banda. I projected at the harshness of the sentence and reminded magistrate and immigration officials that there are millions of people in Zimbabwe whose grandparents went there either as contract labour (mthandizi) or voluntarily. If those people were forced to return to the homes where their great grand parents had come where shall we find space to resettle them?

African presidents should appreciate the fact that those who were portioning Africa did a good deal of injustice to some Africans by compelling them to belong to a diminished geographical region. Before expelling Malawians, Tanzania expelled Rwandans. Rwanda which used to be part of German East Africa, is less than ten percent, geographically the size of Tanzania. Few Rwandans like few Malawians can travel more than two hundred miles east or westwards without finding themselves in a foreign country.

Beggar-thy-neighbour policies were behind the many wars that constituted European history. After World War I, States in Europe promoted European unity and cooperation. Nearly 70 years have passed without European nations going to war against one another. This is a lesson for Africa.

The death of more than 70 people at a Nairobi shopping mall is cause of concern not just to Kenyans but all other Africans including Malawians. The tactics used by the terrorists are of non-Africa origin.

Hitherto, whenever terrorists attacked or killed American nationals some people thought Americans had provoked the terrorists by supporting rival groups. The terrorist group in Somalia is claiming responsibility for the holocaust said it was punishing Kenya for sending troops to Somalia.

We know what happened prompted Kenya to send troops to Somalia. Terrorists from there had been killing Americans and Israelis resident in Mombasa or Nairobi and in doing so, they were killing more Kenyans than national whom they were targeting.

It is astonishing that Kenyans’ security forces could have been caught napping when all along they have known that they were on the blacklist of the terrorists.

What precautious measures is our government taking? Is should strenuously restrict immigrants from countries that breed terrorists. Hardly a month passes without minority Christians and Moslems being slaughtered in some of these countries.

Related Articles

Economics and Business Forum

On illegal immigrants and Nairobi holocaust

News that hundreds of Malawians have been expelled from Tanzania as illegal immigrants is shocking but hardly unprecedented in the post-colonial Africa.

In the 1970s, Ghana under the leadership of Dr K.A. Busia expelled thousands of West Africans on the ground that they had not been allowed to enter that country. Generak Ignatius Ache Pong overthrew Busia and he in turn was disposed by Jerry Rawlings.

Thereafter, thousands of Ghanaians were expelled from Nigeria where they had gone in the wake of the Nigerian oil boom. The latest large scale expulsions were launched in South Africa following mounting xenophobia.

In South Africa, the main victims were Mozambique nationals who were killed in cold blood. I wrote on the page of this paper warning the South Africans that they were creating a bad future for themselves vis-à-vis neighbouring countries which had given shelter to their freedom fighters. I pointed out that since Mozambique geographically stretched from the tip of southern Africa to the north east coast, she might have beneath the surface, all the minerals that have made South Africa rich and that next time it might be South Africans who might flock there in search of jobs.

This prediction had looked like wishful thinking at that time. Massive discoveries of gas in Mozambique  marine water have put that country on the high road of development and prosperity. Whereas, South Africa’s growth rates do not go beyond five percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Mozambique regularly registers upwards to eight percent or even higher.

Massive expulsions of illegal immigrants have hardly wiped out unemployment in a host country. African governments should sit down and try to find ways of handling this problem. Many of those who are said to be illegal immigrants are just crossing from one tribal home to another. To them it does not mean they are foreigners in a town just a small river across.

Much as we regret the suffering that expelled Malawians have been through we must not forget that from time to time, Malawi’s immigration authorities have also been expelling illegal immigrants from Tanzania and Mozambique.

Some years ago, I cannot remember exactly when ,a magistrate at Mzuzu sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour, two women from Zimbabwe one of whom had a Malawian clan name Banda. I protested at the harshness of the sentence and reminded magistrate and immigration officials that there are millions of people in Zimbabwe whose grandparents went there either as contract labour (mthandizi) or voluntarily. If those people were forced to return to the homes where their great grand parents had come where shall we find space to resettle them?

African presidents should appreciate the fact that those who were portioning Africa did a good deal of injustice to some Africans by compelling them to belong to a diminished geographical region. Before expelling Malawians, Tanzania expelled Rwandans. Rwanda which used to be part of German East Africa, is less than 10 percent, geographically the size of Tanzania. Few Rwandans like few Malawians can travel more than 200 miles east or westwards without finding themselves in a foreign country.

Beggar-thy-neighbour policies were behind the many wars that constituted European history. After World War I, States in Europe promoted European unity and cooperation. Nearly 70 years have passed without European nations going to war against one another. This is a lesson for Africa.

The death of more than 70 people at a Nairobi shopping mall is cause of concern not just to Kenyans but all other Africans including Malawians. The tactics used by the terrorists are of non-Africa origin.

Hitherto, whenever terrorists attacked or killed American nationals some people thought Americans had provoked the terrorists by supporting rival groups. The terrorist group in Somalia is claiming responsibility for the holocaust said it was punishing Kenya for sending troops to Somalia.

We know what prompted Kenya to send troops to Somalia. Terrorists from there had been killing Americans and Israelis resident in Mombasa or Nairobi and in doing so, they were killing more Kenyans than national whom they were targeting.

It is astonishing that Kenyans security forces could have been caught napping when all along they have known that they were on the blacklist of the terrorists.

What precautious measures is our government taking? It should strenuously restrict immigrants from countries that breed terrorists. Hardly a month passes without minority Christians and Moslems being slaughtered in some of these countries.

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