Angry residents of Mchesi Township in Lilongwe have threatened to ‘chase away’ Burundian nationals living in the area after one of them allegedly killed a Malawian following an argument over a bill settlement.
The death caused tension in the early hours of yesterday such that minibuses had to be rerouted from the township’s road until after police restored calm.
When The Nation visited the township, there was heavy police presence patrolling the area.
In an interview, Vanessa Matanda, a resident of Mchesi, alleged the whole incident started when the deceased, Kondwani Matapa, and a friend were drinking at a pub owned by the Burundian national.
“He [Matapa] wanted to leave without settling the K800 bill when the Burundi national stabbed him with a knife in the chest.
“When we woke up today [Monday], we found Matapa lying dead and that is when people started rioting and demanding that all Burundian nationals should be sent back to Dzaleka Refugee Camp,” claimed Matanda.
The Nation crew saw that most shops belonging to Burundian nationals were closed while some had been looted.
In an interview, Lilongwe Police spokesperson Kingsley Dandaula said they managed to talk to some elders in the area “who helped in calming down the people”.
“The suspect [the Burundian national] handed himself to police,” said Dandaula.
