Malawi cooperating with Zimbabwe to block refugees seeking safe haven

By Tererai Karimakwenda
30 December 2005

Zimbabweans have been acquiring passports from Malawi for a long time now because the process was simple and success was almost always guaranteed. And as the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe has dragged on for years now, the Malawi route had become an oasis for many trying to escape to South Africa or across the oceans to Europe and America. The current prime minister is not having it though. Bingu Wa Mutharika has turned out to be an important ally of Robert Mugabe in many ways. Not only did Zimbabwe provide him with his wife Ethel, but security at Malawi’s state house as well as food preparation is now in the hands of Zimbabweans. The 2 countries are reported to be sharing intelligence information now regarding the flow of refugees between them and monitoring the activities of various organisations.

Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa has crossed the border a few times over the Christmas holidays and he reports that it is now more difficult for Zimbabweans to get Malawian passports. He said many asylum seekers had been deported in the last few weeks and some immigration officials at Mwanza border post were fired this month for corruption involving Zimbabwean refugees. Muchemwa said it is largely believed that Mutharika has introduced more stringent measures at the border aimed at keeping out Zimbabweans attempting to cross over. There has been an increase in interrogations and deportations at the border.

The Malawian prime minister is currently in Zimbabwe on his way back from Tanzania. Muchemwa speculates the visit was intended to further strengthen his bond with Mugabe. He added that it is a well-known fact several Zimbabwean state agents had changed their names and acquired Malawian passports. As we reported earlier this month, agents from Malawi are also being trained in Zimbabwe by intelligence officials and the army.