Irate villagers kill murder suspect
An angry mob from Gobede village in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Kayembe in Dowa on Monday beat to death a mentally ill man whom they accused of killing his cousin.
Mponela Police Station public relations officer Kondwani Kandiado, on the said day, Maxwell Mwanya, 36, allegedly grabbed a hole from his cousin Custom Kawamba, 71, who was coming from a garden and used it to hit him on the head.
Explained Kandiado: “He hit him three times on the head knocking him to the ground. The victim sustained three deep cuts and was bleeding heavily as he was being taken to Mbingwa Health Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival.”
He further said hospital officials pronounced that the death was due to severe bleeding. Upon hearing the news, angry villagers descended on the psychiatric patient, demolishing his parents’ house wielding hoe handles and wooden sticks which they used to beat him.
“As the angry villagers were contemplating of setting him on fire police intervened and managed to stop the mob but it was too late to save Mwanya’s life.
“Mwanya had sustained deep cuts in the head and hospital officials from Mponela Rural Hospital pronounced him dead saying it was due to severe loss of blood,” added Kandiado.
He said so far, no arrests have been made but investigations are underway to identify those who took part in the act.
Police have since condemned the barbaric acts in strongest terms urging the community to desist from taking the law in their own hands but instead take the suspects to police to be tried in court.
Both the deceased hailed from Gobede village.
