The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) wing in South Africa has donated food rations worth R5000 (MK200, 000) to 50 Malawian families affected by hunger due to COVID-19 lockdown in that country.

The South African Government on July 3, 2020, announced extension of lockdown measures to further contain the spread of coronavirus which had led to thousands of Malawians losing jobs and struggle to survive.

One of the beneficiaries, Isabella Chiumia commended the MCP wing in the diaspora for the food assistance, saying things have turned worse due to the lockdown as a number of Malawians are not working.

Chairperson for the Diaspora Wing, Runford Kambaika said on Sunday that it is disheartening to see fellow Malawian citizens struggle to make ends meet while many are being evicted from their homes and going to bed hungry.

Kambaika said through an initiative called ‘Struggling Malawians in the diaspora COVID-19 Monthly Food Relief Package and Support’ different Malawian familieshave received assistance.

He called on more well-wishers to come forth and support Malawians that lost jobs, businesses and other sources of income to the pandemic.

“We are appealing to any person or organisation who might want to contribute in the initiative to contact us so that we can feed more families as well as help in the repatriation costs for those Malawians who are willing to return home but they do not have money.

“It is very tough to suffer in a foreign land,” said Kambaika.

He, therefore, appealed to government through Foreign Affairs Ministry to revive the Malawi Embassy so that it best serves the citizens working in the diaspora.

The Malawians who have benefited from the initiative are from Lion Park, Cosmo City