When mob justice stings perpetrators

By Emmanuel Chilemba:

On July 1, 2023, Chapananga Police Unit in Chikwawa District had infrastructure that rose above the ground of the Shire Valley district.

By the end of that month, it had been reduced to rubble, the insolent act of community members who had no respect for the rule of law.

The structure was set ablaze by irate community members, who accused Malawi Police Service (MPS) officers of failing to surrender a murder suspect to them.

Apparently, the irate mob wanted to mete out instance justice on the suspect, forgetting that every suspect is innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.

At the time, the development worried MPS Director of Community Policing and Police Units Alex Simenti and Chikwawa Police Station spokesperson Sergeant Dickson Matemba, who indicated that, following the development, six law enforcers who were manning the unit had been moved to Chikwawa Police Station.

Consequently, and according to police records, two people were arrested in connection with the fracas, with some of the suspects fleeing to neighbouring Mozambique.

Apparently, government resources went down the drain after Chapananga Police Unit was set ablaze.

According to the Information Platform for Public Infrastructure in Malawi (IPPI) website, earlier that year, K79,994,226.06 had been set aside for the construction of the police unit, with February 1, 2023 and May 2, 2023 earmarked as project start date and due date, respectively.

This came after the construction project was approved on October 12, 2022.

Today, some service users are complaining that they cover a long distance to get to police units that are closer to Chapananga Police Unit.

For instance, traveller Kondwani Martin, 35, who is based in Salima District but was on his way to Nsanje District on November 30 this year, lamented that when his car broke down, some unknown men forced him to give them money at knifepoint.

“I had to give them K120,000 I had on me and when I asked community members who, 10 minutes later, came to my rescue about where I would report the issue, they said the next police facility, namely Chapananga Police Unit a kilometre away, was not operational after some community members had set it ablaze in 2023. I was advised to report to Kakoma Police Unit or Chikwawa Police Station or any other police establishment. I just gave up on the issue.

“I am not blaming the police. I blame community members for acting irresponsibly. When police structures are damaged or set ablaze by community members, it is the same community members that suffer and end up blaming the Malawi Police Service. This hypocrisy [on the part of community members] must not be tolerated,” he said.

Now it is not only newcomers to the area who are feeling the pinch of lack of access to police services; community members, too, have started lamenting the situation.

However, community member Ruth Simeon, 43, said it was “unfair” to be punishing “even community members who did not participate in the arson” in 2023, saying police services are indispensable.

“No community can develop without the police.

“In fact, security is one of the factors investors consider before setting shop in an area. As such, we appeal to the Malawi Police Service to consider sending police officers to Chapananga Police Unit. We are happy that the police unit [structure] has been restored. Thank you very much. Now we humbly urge the Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga to consider sending police officers here,” she said.

Parliamentarian for Chikwawa West, Susan Dossi, has also appealed to MPS to expedite the reopening of the newly reconstructed Chapananga Police Unit to restore law and order in the area.

The lawmaker has expressed concern that the delay in opening the newly built facility is forcing community members to be covering long distances to seek help from law enforcers at the nearest Kakoma Police Unit.

She further expressed concern that the situation had led to a rise in robbery cases, and expressed optimism that redeploying officers would go a long way in restoring law and order in the area.

“We have already built a modern police unit but they [district police officer-in-charge and others) said we need to construct houses for the police officers to be deployed.

“However, the project for police houses is already underway, with 10 houses being constructed. This might take some time; so, we are requesting them to consider opening the police unit now while the construction of the houses is still underway,” Dossi said.

Officer-in-charge for the district’s police, Carolyn Jere, reaffirmed the law enforcement agencies’ commitment to ensuring the enforcement of law and order and pledged to provide prompt measures on the matter.

However, she further highlighted the need to complete the construction of staff houses at the facility.

On July 25, 2023, there was a stand-off between the police in the area and irate members of the community, who raided the old facility, setting it ablaze in the process.

During the incident, it was also reported that the mob looted items.

Since then, it has not been easy to get police personnel back on the ground.

And, unfortunately, Chapananga people are not the only ones facing challenges after razing down police unit structures.

In one area under Traditional Authority (TA) Mponda in Mangochi District, community members are living in fear following the vandalism of a police unit earlier this year.

The destruction of Katema Police Unit in March 2025 has left scores of people vulnerable to crime.

Chaos ensued following rumours that police had, on March 14, 2025, arrested a suspect in the suspected murder of a motorcycle operator along Kapako River in Belo Village, TA Mponda.

Police reported that the motorcycle operators had ferried two people from Mangochi Boma and was later found dead after being stabbed and robbed off by the two.

It was also reported that villagers from Chilembwe and Katema stormed the police unit, where they demanded the release of a suspected murderer they thought had been arrested.

Not satisfied with MPS personnel’s response, the community members damaged the facility and houses for police officers after they were told that no suspect had been arrested.

Since March 2025, the police unit has remained closed.

As a result, there is a security lapse.

Margret James, from Mthiramanja Village, recalled the day her mother was brutally assaulted in her own home in July this year.

She said the culprits were apprehended and taken to Chilipa Police Unit, but the officers refused to help them, citing the destruction of the police unit as the reason.

“They told us we were to blame for destroying our police unit,” James said, still reeling from the experience.

Saiti Abdullah Foster, Chairperson for Katema Village Development Committee, acknowledged the mistake made by community members and said they took steps to apologise to the Officer-in-Charge for Mangochi Police Station.

In July 2022, angry people destroyed Lundu Police Unit in Blantyre after learning that police were keeping in custody a murder suspect who they wanted to be released for them to administer mob justice on him.

Chileka Police Station Officer James Mbale indicated at the time that the angry mob also burnt furniture at the police unit.

“In the wee hours today, two people were fighting at a bar in Lundu area, Blantyre. In the process, one man allegedly stabbed the other and he died while receiving treatment at Lundu hospital,” Mbale is quoted as saying.

Police say they later arrested the suspect but the relatives of the deceased wanted the suspect to be released to them to set him alight.

Thereafter, people there started bearing the brunt of criminal activities, as thieves, armed robbers, goods smugglers, among others, seemed to have been let loose.

In Blantyre Central Business District, over four years are now elapsing since people set ablaze a police unit closer to Blantyre Flea Market.

This happened in November 2021, during anti-government demonstrations.

From these, and other cases that have been registered in the country, it is clear that after the anger has dissipated, it is community members who bear the brunt of thoughtless action.