Malawi army soldiers confront cops on patrol in Zomba

A group of plain clothed Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers from Cobbe Barracks in Zomba on Monday afternoon confronted some police officers who were patrolling near Spar Cash and Carry shop in the city.

The development comes hot on the heels of the shooting to death of MDF soldier, Lance Corporal Prince Lameck by patrol police officers on Saturday night.

The deceased was laid to rest at his home village in Chiradzulu on Monday.

He hailed from Phwandaphwanda Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Nkalo in Chiradzulu.

Tension has been mounting in the city since the shooting incident after the deceased had allegedly picked a fight with the police officers when he was coming from welcoming his mother at the Zomba Bus Deport.

City residents witnessed the ordeal in town as the soldiers comforted the armed police officers and broke a rifle in the process.

Since the incident, the streets in Zomba has been without police officers and the development is being viewed as fear by cops of MDF retaliation to the fatal shooting of Lameck

The shooting of Lameck has reminded soldiers in Zomba of another incident when police officers in 1998, fatally shot Army pilot Lieutenant Colonel Francis Gordons Dzineso as he drove on the M5 road connecting the Army Air Base and Zomba Town.