“Dead” woman found alive at Karonga lodge after staging shock disappearance

A woman has been arrested by police in Karonga after staging her own death in a brazen bid to escape a mountain of debts racked up through fraud, deception and trickery — in scenes reminiscent of South African fraudster Thabo Bester, who famously faked his own death in prison before going on the run.

Rita Mkandawire, 31, was reported missing just days ago — sparking a wave of alarm after graphic images of her apparently lifeless body began circulating widely across social media, showing her lying naked with her eyes closed in what appeared to be the aftermath of an abduction.

But police have now confirmed the shocking “abduction” was nothing more than an elaborate ruse, after detectives tracked Mkandawire down alive and well at a lodge in Ngara, Karonga — with her five-year-old son by her side.

Northern Region Police Publicist Inspector Cecilia Mfune revealed that a team of detectives travelled to Karonga after receiving a tip-off, discovering Mkandawire’s vehicle parked conspicuously outside the lodge where she had been hiding out.

Mfune confirmed that Mkandawire was not just wanted in connection with her staged disappearance — she is also facing a string of unrelated fraud charges from both Mzuzu and Lingadzi Police Stations, including obtaining money by false pretences.

Police say investigations are still ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding her elaborate fake death and disappearance, with detectives working to determine exactly who helped stage the scene and how far the deception was planned.

Mkandawire hails from Mtowera Yifwa Village under Traditional Authority Wasambo in Karonga district, and now faces the prospect of multiple charges as investigators piece together the full scale of her alleged fraud.