Umbwi Secondary School closes indefinitely as students survive petrol bomb
Umbwi Secondary School in Malawi’s central district of Dedza has been closed indefinitely following hostilities between students and the community.
The animosity follows the gruesome murder of one of the school’s teachers, Cashion Phiri alongside his wife and their six-month-old child.
According to police, Phiri died of a stab wound while the wife died due to head injuries after being hit by a hard object and the little baby starved to death following the mother’s death.
Their bodies were found in a decomposed state in their bedroom and a 17-year-old boy, who they had employed as house boy, is considered to be the prime suspect though he is still at large.
Umbwi Secondary School Headmaster, Kalirani Chunga, confirmed sending the students home to quell the volatile situation that has broke out following the death of the teacher.
“The students have been told to go to their homes first and we will communicate to them when the school will resume,” he said.
The students went on rampage on Thursday night smashing people’s vehicles and blocked the Blantyre-Lilongwe highway (M1 Road).
They also allegedly damaged part of Dedza Metro and Bata shops before police intervened to control the situation.
In retaliation to the protests, some unidentified people later in the night threw a petrol-bomb in the school’s store room but it was quickly noticed by the students who put it off.
All students and school authorities evaded the suspected petrol-bomb attack without hurting.
However, the school headmaster disclosed that only a few bags of beans and other food stuffs were destroyed during the attack.
Meanwhile, Dedza Police Spokesperson, Edward Kabango, said police have launched a manhunt for the boy, whose name is not yet known, but hails from Ntcheu district.
Kabango said they strongly suspect the boy was behind the brutal murder of the family members as there was no sign of forced entry into the house as all the doors were found locked.
The boy was staying in the same house with the family and it is suspected he vanished immediately after murdering the family.
Some items had been stolen from the house and the man’s private parts had reportedly been cut off.
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