Nchelenge District Commissioner(DC) Derrick Mwelwa has warned refugees at Mantapala Refugee Settlement against selling foodstuffs and other commodities given to the them by government and its cooperating partners .
Mr. Mwelwa sounded the warning after some refugees were caught trying to sell 25 kilogram bags of mealie meal, tents and empty containers.
The DC said his office will not tolerate such kind of behaviour saying any refugee who will be found wanting will be dealt with accordingly.
He stated that it is worrying that refugees have resorted to selling foodstuffs and other supplies given to them.
Mr. Mwelwa added that it is unfortunate that refugees are fond of complaining of not being given enough rations when they only want to sell the food stuffs.
He said government and other cooperating partners have been working tireless to ensure that refugee’s welfare is well taken care of and wondered why some of them can resort to selling hard earned food stuffs.
REFUGEES DONT SELL FOOD BUT SELL THEIR BODIES TO THE SAME OFFICERS AT EVEN 10 PER NTYENO. I WAS A SECURITY GUARD AT MAHEBA REFUGEE CAMP HMM ..ITS FREE FOR ALL KUCHITO LEMA NAZO
Selling food? Nub them and send them back. Rubbish. We are risking the lives of our people there in Nchelenge whereby these Congolese rebels can follow then and they start doing ifyabupuba. These people don’t even appreciate. Our relatives are caught without mercy if found on there side and sent to jail just for simple makobo or chisense.
What law are they breaking, and how exactly will DC Derrick Mwelwa deal with them “accordingly”? If the food and tents are given to someone it is theirs to do with as they please. What is illegal for DC Mwelwa to start warning and making threats?
Clearly, the recipients have decided that food and tents are not what they need most and the message instead should be for DC Mwelwa (and cooperating partners) to pull up their socks and figure out what kind of assistance, if any, is needed instead. The cooperating partners might also think twice about giving aid through a self-styled strongman like Drrick Mwelwa who has little to no concept of either the law or humanitarian assistance.