PP supporters fightover JB’s money

There was commotion yesterday at Kaphatenga Police Roadblock in Salima following a fight among People’s Party (PP) supporters over  disagreements on how to share money dished out by President Joyce Banda.

The President was on her way from Mzuzu to Zomba yesterday morning when she made a stopover near the roadblock and dished out the money.

Witnesses said the President gave out almost K50 000 each to a group of PP youth morale and some party women.

Salima Police spokesperson Gift Chitowe confirmed the fight and said police have since launched a manhunt for arrest of one of the culprits suspected to have injured his colleague and bolted with some of the cash.

Said Chitowe: “Two women and one man indeed came here. The man has been injured and we have given them a report to take to the hospital while our officers have been sent to arrest the suspect.”

He said the suspect has been identified as Dyson Kadzakumanja while details of the complainants will be known when full statements are recorded after their visit to the hospital and a possible arrest of the suspect.

One of the youth morale members, IshuSaizi, who claimed to have directly received the money from the President, explained in an interview at the scene of the incident that after counting the money which came to almost K48 500, they started sharing before the fight started.

“There were 23 of us and we were giving out K1 000 to each one of us. This was when Kadzakumanja started insulting both us and the President and then he started beating up two of our colleagues before he grabbed the money and fled,” said Saizi.

The injured man, who was identified as 32-year-old Raphael Alfoso from Sinjani Village, Traditional Authority Kalonga, had a swollen eye and a bruised shoulder while the other victim was identified as Agnes Chamwalira but she did not sustain serious injuries.

Alfoso is the chairperson of youth morale members in the district while Chamwalira is his deputy.

There was drama at the road block soon after the incident as the victims and other sympathisers pleaded with passing police officers to assist them pursue their assailants only to be told off and advised to report the matter to Salima Police. The officers said there was nothing they could do since they do not work in the area.