Malawi president cautions foreigners on racist remarks

Malawi President Peter Mutharika said Thursday he would send packing any foreign employer in the country who utters racist remarks to Malawian employees.

Mutharika said this at his presidential residence when the Malawi Congress for Trade Unions (MCTU), the country's workers unions umbrella body, paid him a courtesy call.

"Any foreign employer who mistreats Malawians in any way will be sent out of this country, as long as I am president of the country," said Mutharika.

Mutharika's remarks were in reference to a recent incident where a German national working with the locals at a construction site allegedly called a local water tanker driver "monkey" for his poor driving.

The German national, a manager for German construction firm Strabag International, was immediately arrested by the Malawi police and later escorted to Malawi border with Tanzania, where he was dropped to wander to Tanzania.

MCTU president Luther Mambala told the Malawi leader the Union was receiving more complaints from Malawi employees that they were being mistreated by their foreign employers.

The Malawi government has deliberate policies aimed at wooing foreign investors in a bid to boost the country's economy through foreign direct investment.

The campaign has seen more foreign investors trekking to the sub-Saharan country for huge investment deals in the areas of agriculture, health, education, hospitality and infrastructure, among others. Endit