

Man of the moment, newly-appointed Minister of Labour, Vitumbiko Mumba
* His reaction to market surveillance raids by Labour Minister Mumba and Malawi Bureau of Standards on companies and supermarkets
* And closing them for non-adherence and non-compliance to labour and trading laws
* We need to reflect on what is being exposed as not being a full picture, but maybe this is just a tip of a bigger story that has not been told
By Duncan Mlanjira
Chief Economist for South Africa-based Don Consultancy Group, Chifipa Mhango — having observed with interest in the past couple of days the market surveillance raids conducted by newly-appointed Minister of Labour, Vitumbiko Mumba and the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) — contends that the Malawi society needs to reflect on its norms and standards; “otherwise soon we will close the whole country”.

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The chief economist, who is also Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) national director for economic affairs, observes that “the manner in which the country has ignored adherence or compliance to what constitute labour laws and its conditions, and also trading laws, is beyond politics”.
“I cannot resist this subject because if one is dealing with labour issues and industry trade laws, it hits on the micro-economic side of the economy. For labour is an input to the industrial production process and trading premises is where the products meet the consumer.
“As the country, we need to reflect on what is being exposed as not being a full picture, but maybe this is just a tip of a bigger story that has not been told.”

The revered Chief Economist Chifi Mhango
The Don Consultancy Group (DCG) director of economic research & strategy, maintains that “the question we must all ask is whether there is enough civic education for the masses on areas of labour conditions and trading premises”.
He thus shares his recent personal experience of South Africa — that around October 2024, he was at one of his favourite restaurants for his family’s usual Sunday luncheon.
“It was a nice hot day. However, what shocked me was the presence of dogs in the restaurant, brought in by other patrons. I called one of the waiters to inquire about the restaurant’s trading policy around pets, to which I was told that dogs are not allowed. I then asked; ‘so why do we have them today?’ — the response was ‘eissh’.
“I then engaged the health inspector in the area responsible for restaurants over the phone and he openly sent me the section of laws governing such. I then explained to him the situation I was facing at the restaurant on the day.
“An investigation was opened on the matter of the presence of the four dogs in the restaurant. What impressed me was the way the health inspector took his job seriously on a Sunday, that by Monday, the next day he visited the restaurant and engaged the restaurant’s manager over the law guidelines.
“By the same Monday afternoon, the health inspector even presented me with the full report on the matter — something that I never expected or requested.
“In summary, few things changed. A note was put on the entrance of the restaurant prohibiting pets like dogs except for guide dogs for the blind.

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“Fellow Malawians, Malawi has huge problems that needs reflection, and most of which are society-based norms. Our people need more civic education on so many areas, including laws.”
“Institutions such as Malawi Bureau of Standards do not even have enough capacity to be at each and every area of the country to conduct inspections; their call of duty seem to be reactive in nature. This has to be looked at.”
In advising that the Malawi society needs to be educated and informed in a civic way, Mhango says MBS should flight adverts on various platforms as campaign awareness “to educate the masses on the expected norms around trading premises”.
“In South Africa, just recently the country experienced a spark in cases of food poisoning where a number of children have died due to food snacks contaminated with rat poison.
“Such disasters can be avoided if there is extra precaution and compliance in food storage in shops. The selling of expired food at spaza shops and other well known brand shops is not only a Malawian problem, for South Africa has had similar cases.

Conditions found at some of the supposedly reputable supermarkets
“The role of the MBS and its capacity requires urgent attention, for anything that involves food storage, non-compliance and selling of expired products is dangerous to society; for it can lead to deaths, like what South Africa has experienced.”
On the labour side, just as many Malawians applauded Minister Mumba, including former Minister of Trade, Martin Kansichi — who served during the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration under President, late Bingu wa Mutharika — Mhango said “credit should be given to the new Minister of Labour on his efforts”.
“What he has demonstrated is leading by example. This is what his juniors in the Ministry of Labour should have been doing.
“One of the biggest obstacle to lack of compliance by employers is corruption but also poverty of the masses, which pushes them to accept to work in situations that are inhuman.
“I would encourage the Minister of Labour to create a structure of accountability which can identify labour inspectors assigned to specific area of industries so that when he does his raids, he is able to question the assigned labour inspector why he did not take action previously.
“To change the labour working environment and trading premises conditions requires society involvement. The workers conditions at trading premises should not be allowed to reflect society degradation just because of trying to protect foreign investors or investments, at the nation’s expense.
“There is need for Malawi Government and all related institutions to engage society more on acceptable norms and standards, otherwise soon we will close the whole country.”

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