Police calls for collaboration

Deputy Commissioner of Police for the Central Region James Munthali has advised police officers and traditional leaders not to interfere in each other’s duties.

Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of a stakeholders’ meeting where he handed over a bicycle to a community policing forum (CPF) in Traditional Authority Mazengera in Lilongwe on Monday, Munthali observed that some officers interfere in the duties of chiefs.

“There are some cases that are supposed to be settled or resolved at local level by traditional leaders but some officers interfere in such cases to receive bribes and this promotes corruption in the community,” he said.

He said some traditional leaders also interfere in the duties of law enforcers, a situation he said promotes laziness among police officers.

“Traditional leaders should ensure that land dispute cases are properly handled without them taking the law into their hands. When a fracas erupts in the community, report the suspects to police for them to take appropriate action,” he said.

The deputy commissioner appealed to community members to refrain from abducting and killing people with albinism, saying they are human beings like everyone else.

In her remarks, Senior Chief Mazengera pledged to work hand-in-hand with the police to reduce crime in the area.

The event was spiced with traditional dances like chinana and gulewamkulu. n