Chinese make jobs in Malawi, not take them -Ambassador
China Ambassador to Malawi, Zhang Qingyang, has said Chinese are not taking jobs for Malawians but are creating employment in the country and contributing to economic development.
There have been concerns that Malawi’s open door on Chinese immigration is costing Malawians jobs and also that the Chinese traders are displacing locals.
The issue has been magnified in this time of economic weakness.
But the Chinese Ambassador has dismissed allegations that its nationals are taking over local jobs at the expense of Malawians.
“We are not taking over jobs, on the contrary, we are creating jobs,” said the Chinese ambassador in Lilongwe following the signing of the third phase of a technical agreement for Malawi Parliament between Beijing and Lilongwe.
He added: “I am 100 percent certain of that. Many Malawians are getting jobs in various projects and learning skills from their Chinese counterparts. They are leaving these jobs better skilled and taking up jobs they could not have taken before.”
Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe defended the continued presence of Chinese workers under the agreement saying Malawi needs technical experts.
Malawi launched diplomatic relations with China during the Bingu wa Mutharika administration after dumping Taiwan.
Since the diplomatic switch, there has been an influx of Chinese nationals into the country for business and work in projects.
Recently, Dedza East legislator and Chairperson of Health committee in the National Assembly, Juliana Lunguzi took to social media to express shock over mysterious and unexplained underway construction done by the Chinese people in the country.
Lunguzi flashed a photo on Facebook and captioned it: “I just took this photo a few minutes ago on my way to Area 44 which is also our road to the State House. What caught my attention is that there is a huge structure under construction. However the writing outside is in Chinese so am not sure what someone is building in my capital city on the way to the state house. Again the builders I saw are all Chinese. Am still curious.”
She continued: “Funny enough on this route to the State House after the Capital Hotel roundabout, there is a Chinese shopping complex, after four seasons the is I hear Chinese embassy just constructed, before this unknown building. Then our very own presidential villas built by Chinese.”
Lunguzi wondered on who actually owns the land.
The lawmaker has called on Malawians to question the mysterious and un explained ownership of this land.
“Would I be wrong to say that this street has been leased to the Chinese? For heaven’s sake this is serious Prime Land, you mean no Malawian Investors or nationals have the capacity to develop in this prime land? I think we must start asking tough questions now before we get displaced.”
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We Malawian, are very sad. When the British,American and EU guys are assisting us, and pumping the money to support us, but what ur guys did was busy robbing the public money and putting it into ur own pockets. Chasing the British guys and American guys due to some Gold Leaf. And Cashgate!!!! Ur guys, do u know what u was doing is sacking our limited blood. We was told that is politics. When these Chinese guys came to Malawi and help us, u are telling us these ppl are exploiting us. U says why these ppl do not give… Read more »
Gerson Mwale.Dont condemn Bayisokolo on his sentiment.Some of us have worked with these people and we know how miserable their packages are.Go to Bwalo la Njovu and ask how much most of their shopkeepers get.Sundays do not even exit to them that a person goes to church.They will even overwork you like a donkey.They are only interested in making money than the welfare of a human being.Their conditions are even poor to their labourers in their own country.They can work their labourers in their sweat shops for 16 hrs in day like slaves.They like cheap labour alot unlike azungu who… Read more »
Sayimoni, do not be foolish the ppl around here. The employee only gets less than MK20000 in Chinese shops,really? Can u go to any Chinese shops and interview any workers? Barking here with silly brain,Shame on u!!
The presidential villas are just a waste of resources.The security people are manning this place 24/7 using tax payers while those places are not being utilised.Why are Malawians politicians wasteful like that?How often do foreign presidents visit Malawi?For security reasons even if 5 presidents came at one time i don’t think many wouldn’t prefer to spend their night together at one place.Just let out those buildings to some super rich people and that money should help the impoverished Malawians in education and health sector.These greedy politicians should stop wasting resources in this poor country which most of it is our… Read more »
Ujeni don’t lie here.The whites accepts any kind of race in their society but will never let their people exploited by foreigners which is common thing in Malawi.These k18,000 jobs per month by Chinese masters to their servants are not jobs but modern day slavery to exploit docile Malawians who have no fangs to bite back to exploitive foreigners.The govt should check wages for these poor people who are being overworked for nothing.Chinese will never let you benefit anything from them instead its them who will benefit from you 10 times.Malawi govt needs tougher laws so that foreigners should stop… Read more »
This Chinese are not creating jobs instead they are here to exploit Malawians.Chinese are very crooked people knowing how sleepy my fellow Malawians are and the crooked politicians we have who have no interest for their citizen.
Chinese are busy to colonise Africa.Wake up Malawians.People labouring in Chinese shops are getting less than k20,000 per month.Just imagine with the high cost of living.
Malawians since 1964 have failed to construct a 5 star hotel, Parliament building, Karonga to Chitipa road and many others. Why are we crying Lunguzi is clueless, go to New York or Paris and see the many Chinese constructions going up. Clueless clueless clueless legislature. She only got elected because her Father was once upon a time IG, nothing else