Chaponda suspected of sheltering ‘bloodsuckers’ syndicate, villagers destroy his property: Malawi Police arrest 7

Malawi Police arrested seven people suspected to be among irate villagers in Thyolo who on Sunday smashed the house belonging to Olendo Chaponda, a nephew to former minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda, on suspicion that he was keeping suspected blood suckers.

George Chaponda: His nephew attacked over bloodsuckers syndicate

Both Thyolo Police Station spokesman Fredrick Maida and National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera confirmed the incident.

Police said the villagers were alerted about the presence of ‘bloodsuckers’ locally known as ‘anamapopa’ in Nkulira Village  in Luchenza, allegedly  at Chaponda’s residence.

The villagers then mobilised themselves and stormed Chaponda’s residence where they beat up a security guard and forced themselves into the house.

They also wrecked havoc at Chaponda’s maize mill.

“We have arrested seven suspects and charged them with malicious damage and breaking into a building and committing a felony therein,” said Maida.

Olendo Chaponda described the incident as unfortunate, saying the villagers attacked his house without any basis.

“I have lost property worth close to K10 million,” said Olendo Chaponda.

He said he moved to area in 1979 and there have never been such accusations which he described as bizarre.

Olendo Chaponda, a farmer and businessman, said his family is “traumatised” saying they are sacred to live in their mansion that they may be killed.

“My family has experienced the worst things ever,” he said.

Olendo Chaponda appealed to communities to refrain from mob justice in dealing with such issues and advised people to allow the law take its course.

On Sunday, an angry mob at Namainja Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mabuka in Mulanje roughed two men and in the process killing them on suspicion that they were among the so-called bloodsuckers. The victims were beaten to death without any basis.

Stories of vampires sucking people’s blood in the dead of the night have been circulating in Mulanje for days.

Known locally as ‘anamapopa,’ these fearsome forces are described as using both magical powers as well as modern technology to attack their victims.

Their bizarre methodology is said to involve somehow disabling their target using an electrical charge or chemical substance, removing their blood via an unidentified instrument, and then vanishing in the form of a cat or dog.

District Commissioner for Mulanje, Reinghard Chavula said the rumours have brought a devastating effect on people since residences have always been anxious about strangers in some areas and that they were sleeping outside their homes for fear of being blood sucked.

The development comes after an angry mob on Sunday night in the area of Traditional Authority Mlolo in Nsanje beat to death a village head for suspecting him to be coordinating with alleged blood suckers in the districts.

Malawi Police are dismissing reports of some persons sucking people’s blood, saying the stories were mere speculations from deceitful people designed to instil fear in communities.

Meanwhile, the blood sucking killings have reached six, attracting criticism from human rights campaigners calling on government to treat the matter as a crisis.

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The Professor Who Failed
The Professor Who Failed
6 years ago

The art of failure. I told you Mr Bwampini the biggest problem that needs addressing in Malawi is lack of education. People are not educated, making them easily gullible to act and believe in all sorts of primitive rubbish. Stop building stadiums, build schools. Stop stealing government money, let government pay teachers and buy books. Else this umbuli which Malawi government has tamed since the dawn of multiparty politics will haunt everyone poor or rich like Mr. Olendo Chaponda. As if hyenas, albinos and bald men were not embarrassing enough, now comes vampires. Imagine now this appearing on BBC Africa.… Read more »

Ngalande
Ngalande
6 years ago

Mr Maize looks like he can do these things

mwachidedema
6 years ago

I remember when I was young when there was such a thing in Chilobwe, Chimwankhunda and other locations. What I would want to say the Government should look at it the deeply not just by rejecting what the people are talking about. Let people have trust in what we say. People have no trust in our police this is why they take the law in their hands.

getrude
getrude
6 years ago

Abale ndifunse nao. Kodi zopopa magazi ndi zoona. am in the dark, wanted to know if they really exist

virus
virus
6 years ago

zopusa eti. Chaponda can really be involved.ngati anakwanitsa kuti agonetse anthu ndi njala. akapezeka aphedwe basi

chimanga
6 years ago

Pati biiii pali munga……

Signs of the Times
Signs of the Times
6 years ago

I pity all those that are suspected to have been blood-sucked. However, these blood-suckers are virtually powerless when faced with the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Yes the same man whom others call a mere prophet, but HE has the power to protect people against all the combined forces of darkness. These are the days, these are the times when the faithful in Jesus Christ of Nazareth will live by faith. Remember, we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood but against the evil forces of darkness and only the faithful in Jesus Christ will conquer.

Matako
Matako
6 years ago

When I was in standard 1 in 1980 in Thyolo, stories of anamapopa were all over the place. One day we had to scramble out of class when somebody shouted that they were coming. A lot of kids got injured. It was later discovered to be a hoax. Five years later the same story emerged but no one could point at anyone who had been sucked of blood. You could only hear it has happened at such such a village. At the said village people said it happened at the village from which you came. People were afraid of sleeping… Read more »

masoambeta
masoambeta
6 years ago

Malawi has never stopped to being stupid. The whole nation is stupid and full of mediocre individuals whose mouths are large but brains are pea sized.
Blood suckers; who was sucked? Where? When? Circumstances and evidence, them communicate to the general public: deal with the problem in that order. If all this is done without corrupting the courts or police, the issue of bloodsuckers would be bygone.

Kkkk
Kkkk
6 years ago
Reply to  masoambeta

Malawi indeed has never stopped being stupid.. This is why we are behind in terms of level of economics, education and development cautious…. Someone together with his or her siblings took years to build his future yet someone coming from nowhere to destroy in a minute without considering the quenseques…. I truely convinced that these monkeys has indeed committed a ferony crime whose charges is to be slapped to death…..

Chibwantanana
Chibwantanana
6 years ago

Ikakuona litsiro siikata, Pali nkhanitu apa.

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