Nineteen years after the Malawi Government declared minibus touting illegal in January 2006, the practice is still alive and thriving in Lilongwe’s bus depots, and elsewhere across the country.
Call-boys remain a defiant and unimpeachable authority in bus depots and in all other informal places where commuters board minibuses and taxis to their various locations and destinations.
protected by reCAPTCHA
The practice has always been more than touting and showing travelers what minibus, or taxi to board: it is often an act of bullying, harassment, and intimidation to commuters as sometimes they’re practically forced into a minibus, or a taxi; or stopped from boarding any vehicle of their choice.
Incidents of theft have also been reported by travelers in the course of jostling with the call boys before boarding minibuses or taxis.
“Back then, only bus conductors handled passengers. It was safe. Conductors don’t steal from commuters like call-boys do. These boys pretend to help but they end up stealing travelers’ valuables, creating chaos in the process,” explains Muhammad Hussein, who once fell victim to the call boys’ long fingers at Lilongwe Bus Depot.
Another Lilongwe-based commuter, Marcy Chenjelere, recalls how she lost her bag, smartphone and cash in it as call boys fought for her at one of the terminals in Lilongwe.
Other than travelers, minibus and taxi drivers operating passenger services in designated and informal depots in towns across the country have also fallen victims to the call boys’ intimidating characters.
The minibus and taxi drivers are caught between official council fees and the unofficial fees demanded by the callboys for wooing passengers to get on board.
In Lilongwe, for instance, the city council collects K200 per hour from minibus or taxi drivers for parking in designated spaces, while call-boys charge an equivalent of one passenger’s fare for every trip.
Passenger service operators that Malawi News Agency (Mana) interviewed in Lilongwe expressed disappointment with the caller boys who, according to the operators, have grown more aggressive in recent years, demanding fees from passenger operators parking in various formal and informal terminals.
This dual burden on passenger service operators has led to daily confrontations and, in some cases, physical altercations between the drivers and the call boys as the former strives to meet daily income targets set by their employers.
“Lilongwe City Council owns this place – and that’s why we pay K200 per hour for parking,” said James Simba Chilembwe, a local minibus driver interviewed at one of the designated depots in Lilongwe.
“Still, the call-boys chase us away if we don’t pay them too. They’ve become a burden, even though we’ve accepted them as part of the system because it’s their means of survival. But LCC needs to enforce proper regulations because our business is suffering,” he adds.
Despite their frustration, some drivers acknowledge the complex social realities behind the touts’ continued presence and the drivers admit that touting has become a lifeline to the call boys in Malawi’s struggling economy.
“Many of these young men are supporting families, paying school fees with the money they get from touting. If the government reintroduces the ban without alternatives, we might experience higher crime rate,” observes one of the drivers, Hassan John, operating in Lilongwe.
The call boys, on the other hand, share a different side of the story, with most of them denying allegations of theft or harassment, saying such behavior would hurt their already fragile livelihoods.
According to Yohane Belo, chairperson of the Call-boys’ association at Lilongwe-Blantyre depot, situated along the M1 Road at Biwi, the call boys operate under an informal code of conduct; and rule-breakers face disciplinary action – often in the form of suspension.
Belo acknowledges that the early days of touting were chaotic unlike present times when internal rules are enforced to prevent misconduct.
”Before we introduced our rules, some touts were involved in illegal behavior – but that changed,” explains Belo, adding: “We work with Area 36 Police to guide our operations. If government removes us completely, many poor people will be pushed further into poverty, and crime rates may rise.”
He adds that money collected by touts during the day is pooled together at close of business and distributed equally among members; a system they say ensures fairness and sustainability among their ranks.
One question that begs an answer is what happened to the ban that was once issued in 2006 on touting in the country’s passenger service industry across Malawi?
Lilongwe City Council (LCC) officials say they are aware of the challenges travelers and passenger service operators’ face regarding touting and, according to Public Relations Officer Tamara Chafunya, the Council has stepped up efforts to bring order to Lilongwe City’s depots.
Chafunya acknowledges isolated incidences of harassment but she stresses that the council is working closely with police to address them.
”We’ve established a complaints hotline and we are intensifying enforcement with the Malawi Police Service and the Road Traffic Directorate,” explains Chafunya, adding: “We’ve designated official loading and offloading zones, and we’re removing unauthorized personnel from the terminals.”
She continues to say only registered staff are allowed to operate in the depots, with law enforcement officers stationed at key points.
The LCC is also using a digital E-Parking system accessible via USSD Code 455501# to reduce cash handling and minimize the risk of corruption or extortion.
“Our aim is to create a safe, transparent, and regulated environment for bus operators and commuters. Through partnerships with transport unions and community leaders, we’re ensuring that the solutions are inclusive and sustainable,” Chafunya adds.
After nearly two decades of laxity in enforcing the touting ban, it remains to be seen if the terminals of Lilongwe, to begin with, will soon be rid of the hostile and uncompromising faces of the call boys to, for once, offer commuters and passenger service operators the peace they deserve.
