By McGeorge Mbare
SOUTH Africans denied us food, Zimbabweans are feeding us, is the unspoken statement on hungry and desperate Malawians stranded at Beitbridge after meeting the March and March June 30 deadline to exit SA.
Zimbabweans have extended a helping hand to hundreds of Malawian nationals and are feeding them, in the midst of a crisis in Beitbridge Town.
Seventh-day Adventist Church women on Tuesday joined in offering free food, displaying the true Zimbabwean spirit of hospitality to fellow Zimbabweans and Malawian nationals stranded at the Bus Terminus.
Following in the footsteps of Beitbridge’s ‘Mother Teresa’, Purity Gwenda, owner of Black Sheep Shop, who began providing free food to Malawians leaving South Africa, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has emerged at the forefront.
They are feeding fellow countrymen and Malawians at the 24 Seven food zone in the Dulivhadzimu Bus Terminus and a service dtation along the highway leading from the border post.
Speaking to Ziyah News Network, the SDA ladies’ charity leader, Mrs. Nokuthula Ngwenya, known as ‘Mrs. Crock said, “We just see people who are in need and we did it for a cause. We are the Dorcas of our church.”
The church women cooked sadza, vegetables, and other food for Malawians stranded at the Beitbridge Bus Rank.
Also speaking to Ziyah News Network, MB Bus Services Manager Ishmael Mudanga said business was operating as normal.
However, he appealed to local buses and other transporters to provide transport for their fellow stranded countrymen so they could reach their destinations.
“Our business is operating as usual, but I appeal to our fellow transporters to help our countrymen and Malawians because they have nothing, and it’s an ugly situation,” Mudanga said.
He said MB buses have been transporting some voluntary returnees, including those with no money, because their duty to help fellow countrymen in need.
One Malawian citizen said, “We want to thank the church for their support because we had nothing and our children were hungry. But Zimbabweans have treated us very well, much better. We are safer in Beitbridge.”
The migration flow continues to intensify, with many people flooding into the border town. However, local authorities have eased the situation by allowing local buses to carry even Malawians from Beitbridge to Harare to avoid overcrowding in the small border town.