Still in Lilongwe, Malawi working on the impact of Zimbabwean migrants here. To get here the migrants have to cross a part of Mozambique territory and then travel half a day from the Mozambique border. I had difficulty finding Zimbabweans to talk with - one I met was a trader selling workmen's clothes here in Malawi and then taking basic foods back. He was found by my hired driver, Billy, who took me to an enclosed compound right in the middle of Lilongwe's dilapidated old town centre. I had to wait in his car in the heat in front of a bar that was obviously used for prostitution as Billy explained that I wanted to ask a few questions for my research and that I was not connected to the police or immigration. I spent an uncomfortable ten minutes since the compound was crowded, mainly men some of whom drinking beer. I was the only 'pink' man around in fact I hadnt seen any others within a mile of where I was. Happily Malawi is not South Africa where ten minutes in such a location wouldnt do wonders for my survival prospects!



Not much information from the Zimbabwean trader, he was very helpful and again told me of the tough times in Zimbabwe. But he has some papers including a Malawi passport so was more or less OK. Apparently, Malawi passports are easy to get while 300,000 Zimbaweans await passports they have applied for and paid $US250 in Harari - but there is no paper and their $250 has just disappeared. With a Malawi passport, onto to the UK but many have been turned back and sent back to Malawi since their passports were forged, They are the deported to the hell of Zimbabwe - with one of the most efficient, and nasty, secret police in the world.



Which takes me to the dollar...see next blog entry.