Chimwendo Banda engages chiefs to find lasting solution to trafficking in persons
In his quest to find the lasting solution to rising cases of trafficking in persons, the Ministry of Homeland Security has brought together traditional leaders from the Central Region to discussion means through which they can contribute to the eradication of the vice.
Speaking on Monday when he officially opened the chiefs’ workshop in Salima, the Minister of Homeland Security, Richard Chimwendo Banda, said the government decided to engage traditional leaders in fighting trafficking in persons because, as custodians of culture and traditions, they have big role to play.
Chimwendo Banda observed that, for a long time, the ministry has been working in isolation; hence, its efforts to end the problem did not yield the much-needed results.
“For the past years, the ministry has been working with the Malawi Police Service and National Intelligence Services (NIS), but there were some gaps with this approach. That’s why from now, we have decided to partner with you, our traditional chiefs, because you are the ones who stay with people,” he said.
The minister appealed to the chiefs to reflect on the evil side of trafficking in persons and should come up with tangible suggestions towards ending it.
Chimwendo Banda described trafficking in persons as evil and modern day slavery worth to be uprooted at all cost.
He warned chiefs against harbouring perpetrators of this crime, saying this amounts to complicity to the crime.
Speaking earlier, the Director of Chiefs in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Charles Makanga, said the chiefs could play a critical role in the fight against trafficking in persons because they are the ones who stay with people.
Makanga said the information will be quickly passed on to the lower subjects and other people at their governing structure levels.
Senior Chief Kaomba commended Ministry of Homeland Security for engaging the chiefs on the Trafficking in Persons Act.
Statistics indicate that 688 people were rescued from trafficking act in 2020 alone.
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