This tug-of-war between the authorities and a section of society in Karonga over government decision to open a refugee camp in the district is very interesting as it is frustrating.
Interesting in the sense that we have Paramount Chief Kyungu and the government led by Home Affairs Minister Grace Chiumia on one side of the see-saw and traditional leaders, Members of Parliament (MPs), councillors and the grass roots on the other side.
I have followed this debate since it started; on whether Dzaleka Refugee Camp should move from Dowa to Katili in Karonga.
I have heard Chiumia on state-controlled Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) sounding angry, ranting, swearing, defiant, stubborn and arrogant that some people were just born to frustrate government projects, that the government decision is final, that chiefs in the area are for the decision, that those opposing the move are politically charged, that this and that blah blah blah.
Chiumia should not be is suing threats to those opposing the refugee camp.
If Paramount Kyungu is for the project, it should not be assumed that everybody in the area is for the project.
People in Karonga, I am sorry to say this, take Paramount Chief Kyungu as a government puppet. If we had a senate, I would have probably said traditional leaders are the true representatives of the people.
However, in the absence of the senate, it is wrong to think traditional leaders are the true representatives of the people. They are just custodians of our culture and tradition.
This is why Malawians and I think MPs are rightful representatives of the people.
I was put aback therefore to hear Karonga Central Constituency MP Frank Mwenifumbo say at a press conference this week that he was never consulted on the matter. If this is true, then our democracy is at stake.
Mwenifumbo represents people of Karonga Central where Katili is, the reserved area for the refugee camp project, therefore the government and the UNHCR needed to consult him, fellow MPs in the district and coucillors before the decision to plant the camp at Katili was reached at.
This government, this Democratic Progressive Party-led government, brags about being a listening government but I doubt it is; otherwise, it would have listened to the loud cries and pleas from Mwenifumbo and his people to have the refugee camp elsewhere not in their area.
After all, developmental issues should be in conformity with the wishes of the people.
I have heard the reasons the people are rejecting the refugee camp project ; the reasons make sense to me.
They argue that the district is densely populated.
According to the 2008 statistics, there were 80 people per square kilometre and there are fears that this population per square kilometre has doubled or trebled today.
The Karonga / Chitipa Heritage Foundation has already raised eyebrows as to why authorities want to force the 28,000 refugees to learn the Ngonde culture of the area, is Katili refugee camp going to be an integration camp?
I tend to agree and sympathise with the people of Karonga that the district needs meaningful development like good public schools, excellent public health system and infrastructure and a good network of tarmac roads, developments enjoyed in other districts and regions.
The development can only be realised if there is bottom-up approach not the up-bottom approach as has been the case in this refugee camp issue, this approach is archaic and outdated.
I am not, therefore, surprised that there was a similar war on Kayelekera Uranium Mine.
People rejected the mine because they feared the owners of the land, the Ngondes, would not benefit from the mining project and they were right.
The government made intense campaign. Lucrative offers were dangled but never came forth.
Kayelekera Uranium Mine came and has closed without even benefiting the owners of the land. They are as poor as they were before Paladin came in the area.
The government and the people of Karonga lost out big deal.
I am therefore not surprised that my brothers and sisters of Karonga are weary and suspicious at the manner the government is imposing the refugee camp project on the people.
In addition, the so-called refugees have outlived their welcome in Malawi.
For instance, I do not see why we should have Rwandan refugees when their country is at peace than ever before.
Actually, Rwanda is registering fast economic growth more than any African country. It is the hub of technology in Africa; it is the centre of meaningful development.
Let the Rwandan refugees go back to their country to enjoy the fruits of the economic success.
It is surprising that when progressive nations like Kenya are closing down refugee camps, poor Malawi is busy opening new refugee camps; this is crazy.
The government should instead be thinking of sending the refugees to countries with sophisticated security systems and facilities like Uganda and Tanzania because terrorist groups use refugee camps as training grounds and places of radicalising young men.
I am not sure if Malawi can handle the situation if, for instance, al Shabab decides to turn the Katili Refugee Camp as its training ground, as a terrorist cell in this southern Africa.
After all, most of these so-called refugees are economic migrants. No wonder they are busy competing with Malawian in small-scale businesses.
I am, therefore, not surprised that people of Karonga have signed a petition against the Katili Refugee Camp and one of the signatories is Mpeta, the father of Paramount Chief Kyungu, the key person who selects the next Kyungu chief.
I am not surprised that the Karonga/Chitipa Heritage Foundation are thinking of kneeling before the courts to stop the moving of the refugee camp from Dzaleka in Dowa to Katili in Karonga.
The government should halt the whole project and go back to the drawing board. Let everyone be consulted before the project takes off. If the people say no to the project, think of Plan B even Plan C. That is how things work in a democracy!
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