CE N T R E f o r Development of People (Cedep) and Centre for Human Rights Rehabilitation (CHRR) have urged the government to deter victimisation of foreign nationals.

According to the two organisations, it is unrealistic for the government to believe that chasing foreign traders would automatically help boost businesses of local Malawians.

The two NGOs in a statement dated July 2 and co-signed by Executive Directors for CHRR, Undule Mwakasungula and Cedep's Gift Trapence, said this following recent ultimatum by Karonga District Council for all Chinese business people in Karonga to stop conducting their businesses in the district.

"We at CHRR and Cedep are worried that the government has deliberately chosen not to understand the real problem that is at hand. We understand that the challenge is that local businesses lack financial and technical muscle to compete squarely with their counterparts. It is therefore illogical for the government to subscribe to a hasty solution by way of chasing the foreign nationals in believing that businesses of the locals will flourish once this is done," reads the statement in part.

The statement further states that Malawi as a country cannot afford to alienate herself from the global village by way of perpetrating xenophobia attacks on foreign national under the pretext of protecting the interest of local businesses.

The statement further states that this move is not only unacceptable and uncivilised but also a violation of human rights at a highest level.