84-year-old woman murdered in Salima: Malawi Police hunt for killers

Malawi Police in Chipoka are looking for unknown assailants who have murdered an 84-year-old woman and went away with K110,000 the granny had just received from her village savings loan (VSL) benefits Tuesday night.

Salima police public relations officer Sub-Inspector, Gift Chitowe in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) Wednesday, identified the deceased as Loveness Mkolongo of Saidi Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Ndindi in the district.

He said Mkolongo was staying alone when the thugs invaded her house at night and suffocated her to death before making away with the cash.

Chitowe said she was found unconscious the following morning with arms, legs and neck tied with some pieces of clothes and a bathing towel in her mouth, apparently used to prevent her from screaming.

“On the early hours of December 21 at about 0600 hours it’s when the deceased’s in-law Patricia Chimtengo visited her house only to find the front door wide open, and when she went into the house, she found the deceased lying on the floor unconscious.

According to Chitowe the woman was pronounced dead at Chipoka health centre where she was rushed to.

The murder of Mkolongo comes at a time the district is still reeling from the murders of Evangelist Shadreck Wame and Pirilani Ng’oma who was the Head of criminal and investigations department at Chipoka Police.