Technical workers and farm experts from Taiwan who were helping Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika in his farms have withdrawn their services and equipment following the severance of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Malawi.
Workers at Ndata Farm in Mutharika's home district have finalised pulling out their equipment to complete their withdraw, which started soon after the announcement of the 41 year old diplomatic divorce. Other workers at Bineth Farm in Mitundu, Lilongwe has taken away their equipment from the President’s farm.
"The Taiwanese who were helping in irrigation, farm management and technical operations here have pulled out, effectively paralyzing some of our work," disclosed a senior farm officer at Ndata.
The officersaid President Mutharika has been visiting the farm since the Taiwanese started pulling away their resources and put their tools down. "He has been here to assess the effect withdrawal of the Taiwanese has on the farms," said the source. "The impact is heavy as these Taiwanese were rendering their services free and they were experts in their fields."
The farm official also disclosed that the Taiwanese were helping work at First Lady late Ethel Mutharika’s tomb, which is at the Ndata Farm. "They have even abandoned the work at Ethel Mutharika’s grave," he informed.
Mutharika is said to have visited Ndata frequently and that a fortnight ago, the Presidential Land Cruiser carrying Mutharika stuck in the mud at the farm, forcing presidential guards to pull the car out of the mad.
"The road network here was being maintenance done by the Taiwanese, but since the pull out the condition of the roads are worse than useless," the source said.
Nyasa Times