Caritas workers they are still in Malawi prison

THE fate of eight Tanzanians who were arrested in Malawi late last year suspected to be spying in that country’s uranium mine still hangs in balance with efforts still underway to release them from Mzuzu Prison where they are being held
Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Minister, Dr Augustine Mahiga, told the ‘Daily News on Saturday’ yesterday that the Tanzanian government was still in touch with authorities in Lilongwe on the release of the Tanzanians.

“There is no new information yet in regard to this matter. Our diplomatic mission in Lilongwe is still working on it,” Dr Mahiga said in a telephone interview.

Reports from Malawi had indicated that the Tanzanians were to be arraigned on January 4, this year, for criminal trespass at the Kayerekera uranium mine.

Early this week, Malawi’s Songwe border in-charge Yusuf Shaibu and Tanzania’s Kasumulu border Deputy Immigration Officer Daniel Magwaza and his assistant John Njirakiza held discussions with Malawi security agents from Karonga at Songwe border.

On Thursday, last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, explained in a statement that the eight Tanzanians are workers of Caritas Tanzania, an aid agency of the Catholic Church.

The officials are based in Songea, Ruvuma Region. Media reports from Malawi last week alleged that authorities in that country had arrested eight Tanzanian ‘spies’ near the Kayerekera uranium mine.