One dies in border wrangle
Tension between Malawians in Mankanjira, Mangochi, and what are believed to be Mozambican border security personnel yesterday turned fatal when one Malawian was shot dead while another got injured.
Mangochi District Commissioner (DC) and Traditional Authority Makanjira confirmed the incident.
In the past three days, there have been running battles between Mozambican police forces and some disgruntled members of the community who, for a long time, have been protesting effecting of boundary extension by the Mozambican Government into Malawi.
Yesterday, Mozambican officials allegedly visited the area and started uprooting crops such as cassava from gardens belonging to Malawians.
This, according to Traditional Authority Makanjira, angered locals who, in retaliation, apprehended one Mozambican police officer.
“In an attempt to rescue their colleague, the Mozambican security officer shot at the Malawians and in the process killed 43-year-old Saduku Imedi of Makutu Village, Traditional Authority Makanjira in Mangochi District,” Makanjira said.
Forty-year-old Ntenje Wasili was injured by a live bullet and he is being treated at Mpilipiri Community Hospital in Makanjira.
Makanjira said he is failing to understand why the government is still failing to assist his subjects who, he said, are being harassed in their own country.
He said if the government has lost interest in the plight of people of Makanjira, it must tell them so that people might know where to seek assistance.
Yesterday, locals dumped the body of the deceased at Makanjira’s compound waiting for his course of action.
Mangochi DC, Moses Chimphepo, said police is organising officers to go to Makanjira to reinforce security as well as to collect the body for postmortem.
“I have been told by the officer-in-charge of Mangochi police that he is doing something about security reinforcement. But you should be aware that the issue involves two independent countries so we will leave that to senior officials to decide,” Chimphepo.
When contacted yesterday afternoon, Secretary for Defence, Chauncy Simwaka, said his office was yet to be briefed on the latest development.
“But when we get the information, you [media] will be notified through spokesperson of our security departments of what action government is going to take on the matter,” Simwaka said.
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