Hubby recounts wife’s tragic death: Lilongwe dog-bite

February 25, 2015 Kondwani Magombo -Mana 58 Comments

Samuel Jickson, whose wife was killed by unidentified dogs in Lilongwe on February 17, describes her death is the most tragic experience he will live to remember.

Jickson feeds his surviving baby beside him is his four-year-old son - Pic. By Kondwani Magombo
Jickson feeds his surviving baby beside him is his four-year-old son – Pic. By Kondwani Magombo
Samuel Jickson, whose wife was killed by unidentified dogs in Lilongwe on February 17
Samuel Jickson, whose wife was killed by unidentified dogs in Lilongwe on February 17

Jickson, 38, clarified that the deceased, Mwatitha Jickson, 26, met her death as she was going to a nearby under-five clinic to get their third born child vaccinated.

In an interview at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) where the baby is admitted to, he said: “I still fail to believe it really happened and that I shall never see my wife again. It is like I’ll wake up and find it was all a dream.”

The incident happened in Chilota Village, opposite the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Air-wing in Traditional Authority (TA) Njewa where Jickson lives with his family.

On the fateful morning, he had gone to their garden nearby, but had barely worked for an hour when he got the sad news.

Jickson said Mwatitha was attacked by six dogs whose owner was not known and that she was discovered by a bicycle taxi (kabaza) operator who shouted for help.

He said: “I did not personally see the dogs, but the account that the kabaza man gave was that the dogs were six in number.

“And if the scene was not interrupted by this man and the people who responded to the call for help, we could have lost the baby as well.”

The baby sustained wounds in various parts of the body, but she was immediately treated with anti-rabies drugs at KCH and her condition is improving by the day, according to health workers treating her.

The mother, Mwatitha, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the referral health facility and as of Sunday, her body was still at KCH mortuary following some logistical challenges, according to the husband.

Meanwhile, the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development has described the incident as “very unfortunate”.

“We are yet to investigate to ascertain whether they were stray dogs or owned but we commend Kamuzu Central Hospital for professionally handling the case of the surviving baby,” explained Patrick Chikungwa, the department’s deputy director for research and investigations.

He said there was need to sensitise the public on responsible dog ownership as well as reducing population of stray dogs to avoid such tragic incidents

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58 replies on “Hubby recounts wife’s tragic death: Lilongwe dog-bite”

  1. You could definitely see your expertise within the work you write.
    The world hopes for even more passionate writers such as you
    who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe. Always follow your heart.

  2. heh last report said the mother was going to the farm where her husband was, now they say she was going to the hospital to vaccinate her child..which is which??anyhu RIP mother.. and be healed BBY

  3. I feel for my fellow husband and father for a gruesome loss. May you find comfort in the arms of God who never fails as you move on. Praying for you.

  6. MMMMMMMMM AS A MOTHER AND HOW MUCH AM SADLY TOURCHED BY THIS AM VERY MUCH CONCERNED. MAY HER SOUL REST IN ETERNAL PEACE!

  7. kufufuza agaluwa sikungavute, ndimanyumba apafupi pompo, kungoti a polisi sakuwonetsa kulowelerapo pa nkhaniyi, ndikadakhala ine ndikadawapeza agaru sangavute kupeza ayi simunthu kuti wathawa. boma la pitala chitanipo kanthu

  11. vet – kill all stray dogs without even notice. A dept which is only fond of workshop and project money. The nation lacks animal products and disease prevention while officers are being promoted over years. What’s wrong with Malawi. Surely, some departments just talk and they have nothing as improvements on the ground – worse than 1964.

  12. Police should come in quickly on this issue. There are so many loose ends that make the story not add up. Apolisi, tiyankhuleni!!!

  13. ine nkhani iyi ikundiwawa ndisaname. somebody please, please identify the dogs so we can trace the owner.

    amalawi mumangosunga agalu osawadyetsa olo kuwapanga train. kumangowaponyela zotsala pa tebulo.
    ine ndilibe galu koma ndili ndi zida za mphamvu zodzitetezela.

    ngati siupezeka, mulungu azakupeza. machende ako mwini agaluwe wapha munthu. iwenso galu

  17. ASAAAAAA…. THIS IS VERY SAD….MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE. I URGE GOVERNMENT TO BRING BACK MR CHIMPENI, THOSE WHO ARE OLD ENOUGH REMEMBER THE STRAY DOG SHOOTER. HE USED TO BRING SANITY TO THE DOGS! GOVT MUST ALSO ENFORCE THE TWO DOGS PER HOUSEHOLD.

  20. Let the Vertenary personnel hunt and eradicate all the dogs in Lilongwe. This is too much to accept. RIP our mama..

  24. I remember aguard was also attacked and he lost part of his face,are they not the same dogs?pls vet and police guyz do your job nicely and tell us the owner

  28. I dont understand this, it was last week another woman dead because of the same dogs. Are these real dogs? who is the owner? Pliz policemen tapangani zotheka agalu atimaliza awa. Very sad to see babies without their mums now.

  30. Ican so many dogs imean so many dogs as if we don’t have vet…department who could kill nyama zolusa zoyendayenda ngati zimenezi plz plz

  32. The Vet personnel should immidiately go on the animal hunt or else they might attack again. They must find out if they were wild dogs or rabid or domesticated dogs. We may lose more lives here. This should not be taken as a mere story. What would have happened if it were a Minister’s wife or relation? Malawians as we are must learn to respect life. Gvt must be serious on such matters, the comments they are giving seem to say “life as usual”. It is there today and tomorrow it will be on you!!

  35. MBC programmes employees being brutally bitten and eaten alive by the vicious and verminous couple in the name of Albert Brutus Mungomo & Gloria Globert Banda.. The couple have turned MBC into their personal estate defying all the odds of conflict of interest. We are praying for the inevitable. So help us God. Tazunzika, tashupika

  36. Very sad story. I am lost of words. Let us reach out and touch this gentleman, with whatever we can. Pepani!

  38. When I was a kid the veterinary services department used to go round our cities killing all stray dogs. Then responsible dog owners would have their dogs chained.

    Why don’t we go back to those good old days ? These incidences of dogs killing innocent people would not arise if those services were still there.

    My plea to the government, ‘ Please maintain those services that benefited the society even if it is at a substantial cost.

  39. I DONT BUY THE STORY THAT THE OWNERSHIP OF THESE DOGS IS TO DATE NOT AVAILABLE. KABAZA WITNESSED THE FATEFUL DAY OF MWATITHA, ARE YOU TELLING US THAT HE DID FAIL TO SPOT WHERE THE DOGS HAD GONE???

    SOMEONE HEREIN IS HIDING TO SAY THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER.THE OWNER OF THESE SIX DOGS KNOWS THE TROUBLE TO FOLLOW HENCE HE MAINTAINED HIS SILENCE AND WE HAVE OUR PROFESSIONAL POLICE , WHY IS IT TAKING TO THIS END WITHOUT TRACING THE OWNER OF THESE DOGS???? SIZOWONA IZI!!!!! KAMBANI NKHANI YENI YENI APA. THE OWNER SHOULD NAMADYA BWINO AND HE IS BUSY GREASING SOMEONE.

  40. This is a painful and sad development and I am with you in prayers my dear brother. May God comfort you.

  44. The pub at Air wing has a lot of stray dogs numbering to about 10 or more surprisingly the MDF officers take no notice of this I suppose. If the dogs were stray ones then they are from MDF Bar. Again in Lobi area in Aaron village goats and children are being attacked by stray dogs and nobody cares to report to authorities. In area 18 mainly next to Anglican church, there are so many dogs in very pathetic state but no authority takes not of these creatures, surely they will pounce on someone and we shall cry. Veterinary Department please wake up even if resources are not adequate, get rid of these dogs.

  46. There should be an exercise to go door to door to shoot these dogs or shoot any stray dog in sight. Other countries in Africa who are far advance than us do that frequently

  49. Pliz nyasatimes when you want to diseminate news to people, make sure you get a real information.Recently you said the woman Met the Fate when she was following her husband at the garden at around 5:00am,now you are telling us a different story saing that she met the fate when she was going to clinic.So which is right ?

  51. Liongwe Bridal shower ladies, Kitchen top up ladies, banki m’mkhonde ladies, please discuss baby Rebecca as we meet. Kodi mpaka tidikile mzungu kuti achitepo kanthu?

    Thank you Kabaza man and thanks to the man who had rushed late and baby to hospital.

  52. Too many stray dogs on our streets. LL city please institute operation shoot to kill on these dogs.

    LL city officials are just good at engaging in running battles with vendors.

  54. Yes we want to know if the dogs are owned or just stray ones. MHSRIP. I feel sorry for the babies especially the 5 months old one amusiyitsa kuyamwa aaaaa am failing to eat as if its just happening now. Anyway, in every situation God has something to say.

  56. Department of animal health what has happened to the exercise of killing stray dogs? I understand vaccine for rabies is very expensive than killing the stray dogs. Many owners of dogs are very careless now a days they don’t put them on leash . They lie every where along the roads even day time threatening people. Please revive this exercise of killing stray dogs that are not on leash day time.

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