Friday, March 29, 2024

South African shops in Malawi shut in xenophobia boycott

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malawi boycott

South African-owned shops in Malawi have remained closed after calls for a boycott from activists angered at recent xenophobic attacks.In the commercial capital Blantyre, armed police guarded several leading South African chain stores.Several hundred Malawians have been evacuated from South Africa after the recent wave of xenophobic violence.At least seven people have been killed and 5,000 left homeless since the attacks started last month.

Consumer activist John Kapito, in the capital Lilongwe, said the aim of the boycott was “to send a symbolic message”.

[pullquote]“South Africans cannot chase us from their countries and expect us to help them grow their economy by patronising their shops and goods,” he said.[/pullquote]

Outlets of the popular South African PEP, Shoprite and Game stores were closed in all major cities across the country, reports the BBC’s Raphael Tenthani from Blantyre.

The Malawian government has faced criticism from activists over its decision to use South African rather than Malawian bus companies to evacuate citizens following the recent violence, our correspondent says.

But Information Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa defended the move:

“Looking at the urgency of the situation it could have taken a lot of time for Malawian buses to reach South Africa. Besides, the South African buses were cheaper,” he said.
Some 390 Malawians have already been repatriated from South Africa, with a further 500 expected to arrive later.

Source : BBC

25 COMMENTS

    • Thumbs up to Malawians!!! Meanwhile Zambians continue flocking to Kitwe Mukuba mall and putting more money in south african pockets!!! Its a disgrace that an entire president even went to open the mall. Not even Jacob Zuma would stoop so low…Opening manufacturing industries would maybe be worthy of a presidential visit.Not opening stup**d Game stores or Pick n pay!

    • I don’t like wishing but it is what it is. I wish my country Zambia had Frecking Strong Balls like me, never kiss nobody’s behind including the ingenious and superiors. For as long as I am right, I challenge senior management team in presence of my managers who kiss their behind. I reject promotion just as FTJ rejected the offer from KK. We all the minorities at my place of work are only about 7% or less. You got to have a true character of things you stand for and not. I salute Malawi.

    • What boycott. Don’t they have better things to do? This is the kind of sh.it that happens when one of your major exports is cheap labour to other countries. And who are these*** Zambians on this thread calling for a useless boycott? Ma local shops you are suggesting ni ya anyoko?

  1. WELL DONE MALAWIANS. LET THE SLEEPING GARUS LIE. I WONDER WHY THE GOVERNMENT CAN’T PARTNER WITH PEOPLE OR ORGANISATIONS TO REVIVE ZCBC (Zambia Consumer Buying Corporation), OK ZAMBIA, MWAISENI SUPER STORES AND DO AWAY SOUTH AFRICAN CHAIN STORES. OR AT LEAST COMPETE WITH THEM. I WONDER WHY ZAMBIANS WITH MONEY CAN’T REOPEN THESE DEFUNCT ZAMBIA’S CHAIN STORES AND PROMOTE FARMING IN ZAMBIA AS THEY WILL BE INCLINED TO SELL AT LEAST ZAMBIAN FARM PRODUCE- EGGS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, MILK, CHEESE, ETC. IT’S HIGH TIME THESE STORES WERE OPENED BY NEW INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

    • I have balls, I withdrew my money from Stanbic bank and moved to Investrust Bank. I buy my groceries from indigenous owned stores.

  2. Game is not South African owned , it’s owned by Massmart which is owned by Walmart the worlds biggest chain store and is 100% owned by this USA family.
    If you boycott other SA stores or companies you are only hurting Zambian workers who work in these stores as if closed they don’t work and thus no pay.
    Zambians should stay home and work and develop Zambia instead of running off to SA

    • By Zambian workers you mean unskilled causal jobs like store attendants and cleaners with no contracts and union backing….when are you going to get it that a shopping mall is not tangible development.

  3. Meanwhile in Zambia our coward of a lazy president Edgar is busy commissioning a RSA shopping mall that is full of RSA tenants….imagine the whole President opening a shopping mall, you would be mistaken for thinking the National Pension Scheme Authority has invested in this $50m shopping mall but no no …not in Zambia.

    • Great news! Most of these South African retail business establishments were facilitated for by HH and he continues to hold shares. So, EL is simply showing his admiration for the young Turk. Meanwhile HH is sitting back and laughing aloud at the headless clown. Not only in the retail business part of itis HH a beneficiary, but also HH’s business tentacles via Africa Life, Regina Saturna etc are part of the finance syndicators….

  4. It appears Zambia- South Africa interactions is that of Master- Servant relationship where the latter cannot do without the former. Believe in yourselves and you can oppose their dirty tactics confidently.

  5. Zambians yapping like always.a country that can’t make a toothpick or a razor blade busy making noise.you are just good at talking without actions.average zambian owned shops are disorganised and dirty.foreign owned shops have brought dignity to shopping.with a variety of goods.am not supporting xenophobia.but if you boycott these shops what’s your backup plan.

    • How old are you? We were cut off from your RSA and their apples during apartheid and we can still do it again….ask your parents they will tell you.
      wake up!!

    • @jay jay.those memories are so much vivid in my mind.I remember the time of zcbc, niec but mention just one zambian super\hypermarket which has branches in all 10 provinces.don’t tell me you don’t do your shopping from these shops

  6. I think there were too many Malawians.Zimbambwean and Mozambiquese unskilled workers many of which had taken over the shantie townships and small bussinesses.Most Zambians are skilled workers and live in highcost areas thats why we were not affected by the xnophobia.Killing fellow Africans in such a manner was so demonic and sickening.Thank God most SouthAfricans are against this xnophobia.

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