Salima Sugar Company managers embroiled in racism, sex for work
Malawians working for the flagship project – Salima Sugar Company – have accused their Asian managers of practicing racism and demanding sex from female workers in exchange of favours.
An undercover investigation by the Nyasa Times recently established that the Asians have been maltreating the local workers while at the same time demanding sexual favours from female employees in exchange for employment or other considerations.
The Asian managers are overseeing the operations of the company under concession with the Malawi Government.
With the emergence of private sector investors in major growth sectors such as energy, water, communications, and government policy is promoting the financing of flagship projects through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
This arrangement is done under the third Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III), which will be implemented from 2017 to 2022. It is the fourth medium-term national development strategy aligned to the country’s long-term national development aspirations, which are articulated in Vision 2020.
And like any other flagship project, the Salima Sugar Company project was established to spur economic growth and development in the country through multi-dimensional and integrated design.
Implemented by the Green Belt Authority (GBA), the project aims to attain food and nutrition security, increased household incomes and exports through sustainable irrigation and agro-processing.
But local employees have expressed fear that Salima Sugar Company could soon become another concentration camp for the poor Malawian.
A number of employees complained of gross abuse, including sexual harassment against female staff by their Asian managers.
Five female workers separately interviewed at the farm alleged their managers ask them to have sex with them in exchange for better working
conditions and other favours.
The female workers explained that the managers also demand sexual favours from prospective employees for them to get employed.
“Life is never easy for ladies in that company. But we choose to suffer in silence because we have nowhere to go,” said one of the female employees.
On the other hand, male employees complained that their managers use racist attacks on local workers.
“These managers are racists and they constantly use racist words when talking to us. They don’t create a humane working environment for us. For instance, we work without protective wear. We are only given protective gear when the company is receiving visitors,” said a male employee on condition of strict anonymity.
“They do most of their operations in secret. And that is why journalists are never allowed access anyhow. They turn away journalists even when prior appointment booking was done. This is to ensure that no one knows the hell we are going through inside this company,” he added.
Three female employees confirmed to Nyasa Times in separate interviews outside the farm that their Asian managers make sex demands from them.
They said women who rebuff their sexual advances are subjected to unfriendly working environment and can eventually be forced to resign.
But the estate manager, a Mr Rahan, management rubbished the workers’ complaints, describing them as the cry of the incompetent workers trying to gain people’s sympathy.
However, as if to confirm these concerns, the management, led by a Mr Rahan himself, recently turned away journalists on a tour to appreciate the progress is making in achieving its goal of attaining food and nutrition security, increased household incomes and exports through sustainable irrigation and agro-processing.
Rahan referred us to the company secretary, Dr Charles Thupi, at the company’s Head Office in Lilongwe.
Thupi, on the other hand, said he was not aware of the complaints. He also doubted if the managers of Asian origin were behind the maladministration.
He said all the labourers are not under the management of Salima Sugar Company, saying the company outsources of its labour from Madison Holdings Limited.
However, the Malawi Congress of Trade Union (MCTU) Deputy Director Jessie Ching’oma has condemned the abuse of female employees at the company.
Ching’oma has challenged the Malawi Government to rise above the concession agreement and ensure the reports are investigated and culprits made to account for their actions.
- In the next article, Nyasa Times will take you through the poverty burden communities surrounding the Salima Sugar Company have been forced to shoulder because of failure by the company to give compensations to the households that were displaced to clear the way for the implementation of the project.
mukatha kumeneko mubwela ku shayona company kwa mwimila ku kasungu
nyasatimes is looking for money from salima sugar
Nanga a seodi white ali kuti? Akalire pa national TV,
Zosakhala bwino ayi
I have worked as a courier and Been to so many factories and offices in Blantyre. All places run by Amwenya are places filled with fear. The places run by Azungus are totally different.
Mwini wake wa Compant imeneyi ndi amene ali ndi Chipatala Chotchedwa ARTEMIS ku India. kumeneku ndikomwe timatumiza ma external referrals athu. Ameneyu ndi amene akutamidwa kudzamanga Military Hospital kwathu kuno. Kupanga zokula mtimaku ndi chifukwa choti Salima Sugar Cuuperation ndi Joint venture ndi ena Achikulire ku Malawi kuno. Let us open our eyes and see what is going on……ma referrals akapita kumeneku anthu amalandira commission in USD ku headquarters……
The WINNER is the WINNER!Let them submit the report.VIVA DPP!
What’s this about?
Mtambo,sembereka ndi a MWAWA ndi a Trapence TAPITANI kumeneko nde kofunikira ntchito yanu tapitani kumeneku ndiku Rab PROCESSORS MUKAWAUZE AMWENYE AMENEWA KUTI DZIKO NDI LATHU
Zosakhala bwino. Azolowera
There is my sister working and you are having sex with her am coming any time to deal with you stupid foregner.
She got laid Or bent?
Dodatdoo – anamupolamitsa doggy style ameneyo. Koma I hear these Indians just like getting their dicks sucked by prostitutes. They’re afraid of pussy. They’re afraid of edzi 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
tell me her name mwina ineso nkupangirakotu zomwe akupanga amwenyewa kkkkkkkkk
Ombudsman needs to rush to this institution and investigate.This is only institution whose results i trust
What has been said here is true, not probably iceberg in the big ocean, All the allegations are true I used to work for this company from 2016 and resigned two month ago after finding a new job, apart from sexual scandals from which Indians and some Malawians do ask sex for employment, they are well dis organazed, no salary structures one is given salary not based on qualifications or experience but connections and stupid and blind loyaty to Indians, there are no pension scheme, no medical scheme, no salary increasments based on merit by rather connections matter most. There are more than 150 Indians working here 90% of them do not have education qualifications, but everyone is an expatriate even a pump fuel operator is an Indian and expatriate. Do we need fuel attendants from India? Hell NO. we have field supervisors they know nothing but because they are Indians they are called Expatriate and gets a lot of money. Coming to accomodations all Indians live in separate place with well Air conditioned rooms while Malawians regardless of seniority lives in small rooms of 2 by 3 meters built in late 70 by MCP Press Agriculture sharing a toilet more than five families. You need to come again and do your investigations. Malawians have been lobing to join Workers Union but management through its corrupt practices has managed to bribe the union workers with 2 million kwacha and they have kept quite. Even Malawi Buelo of standard has been corrupted as they give fake results of the sugar produced at salima sugar company. MRA is another body corrupted as this company does not pay taxes according to the Law. Immigration is another department which has been corrupted we have Indians here working without work permits and all they do is to receive bribes and kick backs. And all this is due to connections of the Chairman of this company to the leadership of the country both ruling and opposition. If there is anyone who can help us is probably human rights defenders as for others mhuuu forget.
May God show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are devoted to Him, and bring justice in this…and any other corrupt situations! In Jesus’s name I pray!
This is coming from a bitter ex employee
Shaa! Amwenye akutitola kwabasi. Develop local solutions and sort them out. Awone polekera.
Don’t just say “it’s very sad” or “zomvetsa chosoni” and then end there. That’s where we get it wrong as Malawians. We are so apathetic to our country-mates’ suffering. These allegations need to be investigated by the relevant authorities and the perpetrators brought to justice. I am sick of, tired and angry about our levels of apathy!
if it’s true zomvetsa chisoni, let justice greet them by the hand!
Its a sad news fro a poor country like Malawi
Its very sad for a poor country like Malawi
Sensitive issues like this every one is quite. They know how to mistreate people very well without being caught because they use bribes to people in power it’s not only at salima sugar company but most of the companies which are runned by them are like that
I really agree with u, even at Sana Shop in Mzuzu some Till ladies were complaining to me of the same sex favour from Indians when I was paying for my groceries.
So where ever Indians operate in this country they demand the same from our girls in their business and this is due to poor leadership and corrupt officials.
previously I remember a story where unima female students were abused by their lectures so not to fail them exams.The world has completely lost a human essence,no wonder teens are drunkards ,elders kills for money it’s a mess and am sick of it
Why can’t they chase those Asians? They must go & do that evil in their homelands. If Malawi is where it is today, poor it is because of Amwenye, very bad people.
shut them down, sexual harrassment needs to be addressed because a lot of managers are indulging in Quid Pro Quo and easily getting away with it.
Why Malawi why ?
This Thupi guy is not Malawian. He does not know how Indians behave when given authority in Malalwi especially. Malawians suffer under the bullish behaviour of Indians. It is only in Malalwi in the whole world where we treat Indians as Semi-Gods. I am not a racist but this is a plain truth. Put in place monitoring systems and check and balances. You know how Indians rape their women in India, what more where they have the liberty of being in Authority? This is why Idi Amen resorted to putting them in their RIGHT PLACE. Ask Ugandas and they will tell you the truth.
Country has been sold to the highest bidder. Haven’t we learnt anything yet from Kayekera? Shouldn’t we be doing due diligence with these so called investors. The factories and standards laid out should tell our officers a story
Salima Sugar Company, what a hell. Boma likutanipo pa nkhani ngati izi? i have a friend who is working there as a junior staff, koma seriously amadandaura kwambiri.
iBONNE
It would be good to start deporting some of these errant foreigners to set an example to others that we will not tolerate such behavior just because we are a poor nation. My take is that employees at the company should be given a whistle-blower opportunity where they can record some of this so we can act fairly as a nation and set one good example.
Late Bingu said we are warm heart to foreigners not ourselves. Mademo amapangidwa ndikumaphana tokha tokha aja nanga izi bwanji?! Mademo azipangidwa coz tikudyapo kena kale? Zoti amwenye amazunza it’s not news ndizakhale kale and ife tonse ndi mboni. Koma Oona zamaufulu mumakhala busy ndizandale chifukwa mumadyesedwama ma yellow bans. Wake up today and do the needful