IRATE COMMUNITIES ASSAULT TEACHERS OVER SATANIC ACCUSATION ON THEIR CHILDREN
In a disturbing incident this week, irate communities from Senior Chief Makhwira’s area in Chikwawa District took the law into their own hands, assaulting teachers from Mitondo Primary School after accusing them of being responsible for strange “satanic” fainting episodes affecting pupils at the school.
The chaos erupted after five pupils from the school fainted under mysterious circumstances, which led to suspicions from the community that two teachers, including the school’s headteacher, were involved in causing these events.
The community members believed that these fainting episodes were linked to sinister, occult practices and took matters into their own hands. In a violent outburst, the teachers were physically attacked, and windows of the school building were smashed by the angry mob.
Senior Chief Makhwira confirmed the incident, stating that the situation had become tense as the community members sought retribution against the teachers. “This prompted some communities to suspect two teachers at the school, including the headteacher, of being behind the strange phenomenon, and they ended up beating them up,” said the Senior Chief.
Despite the brutal attacks, the situation has been somewhat calmed thanks to the intervention of the Senior Chief, who managed to restore peace in the area. “Peace has been restored following my intervention to calm down the irate communities,” Makhwira added.
However, the aftermath of the violence remains serious. The police, under Assistant Commissioner Caroline Jere, have initiated an investigation, but no official comments have been made regarding the progress of the inquiry. There are also reports, yet to be confirmed, that law enforcement has arrested a son of a suspected ringleader, but the main instigator remains at large.
In response to the violent attack, education authorities at Mitondo Primary School have stated that they will not reopen the school until significant repairs have been made to the damaged infrastructure.
The destruction of public property and violent behavior is not a new phenomenon for communities in this area. In 2021, residents demolished the Makhwira Police Unit after a dispute with law enforcement over the release of a murder suspect, further highlighting tensions in the region.
The assault on the teachers and the destruction of school property have raised concerns over the growing trend of mob justice and the willingness of some communities to take extreme actions in the face of perceived wrongdoings. It is a situation that continues to be monitored by local authorities, who are under pressure to prevent further violence and ensure that the rule of law prevails.
