Two lightning deaths ignite fracas in Dedza

The death of two cousins struck by lightning in Dedza District on Sunday resulted in another tragedy after mourners and other people descended on a man suspected to have been behind the deaths.

The fracas, which took place in Kakhome Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kaphuka in Dedza, led to the death of 46-year-old Funjo Enock on suspicion of having a hand in the death of the two.

Dedza Police Station spokesperson Edward Kabango, speaking in a telephone interview on Tuesday, said the two cousins killed by lightning, Lusinio Bisoni,36, and Chosadziwa Maliseni,16, were at Bisoni’s field planting Irish potatoes when they met their fate.

He said: “While in the field, rains started and lightning struck them. The two died on the spot. It is after this scenario that people started connecting stories they were hearing from Maliseni’s elder brother who had previously been going around the village telling people that Enock gave him some charms to throw in Bisoni’s field.”

Kabango said when asked about the allegations, Enock confirmed that he sent the boy to throw charms into Bisoni’s field. He said he got the charms from Mozambique but could not reveal their purpose.

“It is when Enock confirmed the allegations that the people got angry considering that a similar death occurred in the village last month and they concluded that he was also behind it.” he said.

He said police are yet to make any arrests since they arrived at the scene when the mob had dispersed.

Kabango said investigations to track the master minders are in progress.

There have been a number of cases of lightning recorded by police recently, apart from the Dedza one. Three people have died in Dowa on Sunday while five were injured and treated as out-patients. n