Calling Malawians monkeys: Terrastone workers strike over racisist boss

Workers for Terrastone Construction Limited which is building Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) laboratory complex in Blantyre have downed tools over alleged racism abuse by one of their supervisors and low pay.

The protest at Malawi Bureau of Standards laboratory construction site.
The protest at Malawi Bureau of Standards laboratory construction site.

The workers on Monday blocked the main entrance to the construction site as they demonstrated against to force Terrastone management to look into their challenges.

They accuse one of their bosses – a South African national –  who has been at the construction site  for not more than a week of being v abusive.

One of the workers Langford Chapita—a brick layer—said they are enduring physical and emotional violence among others.

“He has been calling us names such as monkeys which we are tired of. He is so abusive that at times he can grab you by the neck while working on top of the building. He has only been here for three days but several people have been fired and some others have resigned,” said Chapita.

Speaking on Times Radio Chapita added: “If he is calling us Malawians as monkeys it means everyone in Malawi is a money including the President.”

President Peter Mutharika is on record to have  threatened to deport any foreign employer who failed to respect Malawian employees at their work places in the country.

“Any foreign employer who mistreats Malawians in any way, will be sent out of this country, as long as I am President of the country,” cautioned Mutharika.

He warned that racism was an evil which destroyed harmony in multi-racial societies.

The construction workers have also complained of low pay.

The staff are payed K21 930 per fortnight. The pay includes K5 355 for overtime and miscellaneous allowances of K2 640 according to a September pay slip .

Terrastone Human Resource Manager, Mike Khombeya, calmed the situation when he told the workers that management is looking into their complaints.

The two years construction project started in 2016 and is expected to provide exporters with internationally accredited testing services, reducing the need for re-testing, re-inspection and re-certification of their goods abroad.

The laboratory is valued at $12.7million—about K8.87billion, with the overall implementation framework guided by a Contribution Agreement between the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme.

 

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Peter PHIRI.
5 years ago

Ulesi my fellow Malawians. We hate hard work. Kunyeya. Somebody tells to Perform it becomes an issue. All sorts of derogatory remarks. Shame on us . We can’t feed ourselves. We cry all the time. At work we steal., katangale etc etc . Anyone trying to stop this malpractice is s boer , racist etc etc. Kamuzunwould not have tolerated this nonsense. We are on the path of self destruction. Viva Malawi Viva as we become poorer and poorer. You can swear me as much as you like but that is d the truth. We loathe hard work. Katangale basi… Read more »

mtete
mtete
5 years ago

Trouble is that our leadership, perhaps because of addiction to corruption, fails to take stern action against racists and more often than not the offended ends up the offender.
How many times have we heard of the whites (including Indians and Chinese) making derogatory remarks about Malawians and what action against the offenders was taken? More often the offended ends up the offender.

And the Police; they will tell you the matter is being investigated. That’s the end of the story.

Mukhakiwa
Mukhakiwa
5 years ago

He crossed the line – Citizen Arrest basi – We wont wait for the corrupt law enforcement officers. We the vigilantes we will deal with him. Tikapeze kaya ku Blantyre Sports Club, Game, Shoprite – we will arrest his ass and send him to his zenophobic country

Tariq
Tariq
5 years ago

Your lame duck self-hating president and his thugs will not do anything about this. He is a proper asshole

Mzozodo
Mzozodo
5 years ago

Mabuno ndi anthu oyipa

Panganani
5 years ago

SEND THE BOER PACKING LIKE YESTERDAY.

Make Malawi Great
Make Malawi Great
5 years ago

Ana ndi ma Chinese aku Bypass Grand Business Park mistreated workers, have tourist visa workers, evading taxes and shady contractors, they drive without licenses and the govt is sleeping these chinese investors are crooks they all about profits and externalising forex. There’s a need to vet them and verify if they really have the $100 million cause National Construction Industry Council hasn’t collected its 1% levy of the $100 million!!

benjones
5 years ago

This is not the first time workers have complained against their foreign bosses. Has anything been done in the past to the problems . and nothing will happen even today. These poor workers will make noise and keep quit they have a family that is hungry and need food.

Ngolongoliwa wa 81 yrs
Ngolongoliwa wa 81 yrs
5 years ago

That’s too bad. Wina wankhanza ndi Chief of Party wa Jhpiego Cooperations, waku Burundi uku, ali ku Chayamba building in Blantyre, ndi Country Director wake ali ku Lilongwe Pamodzi Building, they like saying if u don’t want you can resign shaaaa. One day we will send them kwao.

naphili
naphili
5 years ago

Send them packing! Kamuzu would give them 24hrs to leave the country. Malawians don`t stand for this nonsense. This is our country and nobody hasd the right to treat us like this.

Mukhakiwa
Mukhakiwa
5 years ago
Reply to  naphili

Send these assholes kwawo kwa nkhondo ku Rwaanda or we will come ku Chayamba and Lilongwe Pamodzi and bust them before this week

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