Apostolic command ‘holy ghost fire’ at Malawi police: Demand release of church member in for girl abduction

Emotions ran high on  Wednesday in the squatter township of Ndirande in Blantyre  when members of the Apostolic Church members stormed police  station demanding an immediate release of one of the members who was arrested.

Police arrested Zakeyu Mapira, on August 13 2019, and charged him with abduction of a 13-year-old girl and failing to provide necessities to a child.

But Apostolic church  members clad in their usual white robes  rallied at Ndirande police  station with placards demanding the release of their member.

They kept chanting to police officers “Holy Ghost fire!”

Ndirande Police spokesperson, Edna Mzingwitsa, said police dispersed those church members but they said they will come back for  vigils.

Mzingwitsa  said Mapira was arrested for allowing  the marriage of a 13-year-old girl to his 22-year-old son without the consent of the parents of the girl.

“The girl, who is pregnant, was being kept in the church’s tent and her parents were denied a chance to be taking her to the hospital for antenatal care,” she said.

The police spokesperson said Zakeyu Mapira’s  son, who has defilement charges to answer, is at large..

Zakeyu Mapira, 42, is from Chalingana Village, Traditional Authority Changata in Thyolo District.