Mourners dump dead body at Raiply
Chaos erupted at Raiply Malawi Limited in Chikangawa on Monday afternoon when mourners dumped the body of an employee’s son at the company’s reception area.
An insider speaking on condition of anonymity said the mourners, who included students at Mtangatanga Community Day Secondary School (CDSS) where the deceased—Richard Shaba—had been in Form Two, were angered by the company’s policy of not providing a coffin for employees’ dependants aged above 18. Shaba was over 20.
“Where the deceased dependant is over 18, the company only provides a soft loan for a coffin and transport. The chief executive officer [CEO] only ordered the release of a coffin later,” said the insider.
Raiply Malawi CEO Thomas Oommen was not picking calls when contacted; however, Northern Region police spokesperson Maurice Chapola confirmed the incident.
He said the chaotic scenes were also triggered by lower wages.
“The employees were also angered after the company ordered the arrests of six employees allegedly for stealing 183 blockboards valued at K237 900. No arrests have been made so far, though,” said Chapola.
He said the angry mob vandalised office property and equipment valued at K850 000 and broke the windscreen of a Mitsubishi Canter.
Although communities reacted with rage, Raiply has been involved in a number of social responsibility drives that include building for the community Mtangatanga CDSS and teachers’ houses there.
