Karonga to be hosts for refugees in Malawi: Chief Kyungu,  Minister Chiumia in Uganda on study tour

Chief Kyungu of Karonga and Home Affairs minister Grace Chiumia are in Uganda on a study tour of how that country welcomes and treats refugees.

This follows the government decision to transfer Dzaleka Refugee Camp to Karonga, a divisive decision that has left some civil society groups in Karonga and Chitipa vowing to block the move.

Some people from Karonga went flat on social media on Sunday, accusing the chief of being a sell out, of allowing the government to open the refugee camp in exchange for foreign trips.

“Kyungu ndi mbuzi, (Chief Kyungu is a he goat),” said Chancy Mtambo from Chitipa harshly.

Most of the people were against the move to open the camp fearing their security would be compromised.

But minister Chiumia however assured the people that the government would provide enough security.

Members of parliament from Karonga and other leaders were on Friday taken on a study tour to Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

The camp hosts refugees from east and central Africa.

But the group reportedly  betrayed their subjects by accepting the relocation of the camp to Katili Karonga without their knowledge.

“We are not the delegates but leaders of the residents and on their behalf we have accepted the camp to be relocated to our district because it will develop the area,” said the group to the Minister Chiumia and UNHCR.

Adding that “we shall just inform them and they will support the idea  because we are their leaders.”

According to some of the delegates, they were afraid that the community will rebuff the decision especially most of them were not trusted people and that the selection was biased.

“Without hiding most of the people who were selected to be the delegates, were only those who supported the relocation of the camp and some were of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party members,” said a source.

Kyungu reportedly removed the name of the district vocal and fearless activist Steven Simsokwe from the list of the delegates at eleventh hour because he knew that their plan of betraying the residents would not be achieved.

Apart from Kyungu, some of the delegates included  Wavisanga Silungwe (DPP senior member) Greenwel Mwamondwe (DPP member), John Bond Kamwambi (DPP MP), Patrick Kishombe councillor and officials from the office of the District Commissioner.

However, the decision has angered some district business community,  CSOs, Karonga-Chitipa heritage group and the community.

Speaking in an interview, Simsokwe said time for the youths to sacrifice their life has come.

He said as the youths, they will not be ruled by the decision of individuals who have sold their souls because of UNHCR allowances.

“If the UNHCR and government want to see our anger they should go ahead with the decision,” warned Simsokwe.

Meanwhile, Karonga-Chitipa heritage and some business community has vowed to take a court injunction if government continue with the decision.

The community, business community and some organizations are denying the relocation of the camp to the district because of security reasons and lack of consultation.