Angry road contractors beat up district council chairperson

Angry villagers who were engaged to maintain a road in Mulanje have beaten up the district council chairperson after causing mayhem at council offices demanding their wages.

Mulanje district council chairperson Isaac Brazio is said to have engaged the 50 villagers to maintain a feeder road in chief Chikumbu’s area where he is also councilor.

Brazio promised the temporary workers that Roads Authority would pay them before the May 21 tripartite elections, according to the leader of the disgruntled but angry group, Kondwani Mangani.

Mangani said their wages in total is K640 000.

“Instead of telling us that the payment is ready, the chairman called to say K200, 000 was missing from our wages so we should wait further and this angered the people,” said Mangani.

He said after getting no help from the district council offices, the group headed to police when they met Brazio on their way to the police and beat him up.

The police have since resolved the matter amicably but no one has been arrested for assaulting the district council chairman.