Malawi govt says blood-sucking vampires is opposition-sponsored rumours
Government has strongly condemn the barbaric acts by some unruly Malawians who are beating, chasing and killing innocent people in the name of ‘vampires’ calling it as a mere myth, accusing unnamed opposition politicians of exploiting the rumours with the aim of bringing down the regime.
Addressing a news conference in Lilongwe, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Henry Mussa said there was “no evidence that there are blood-suckers.”
Malawi, where witchcraft is widely believed and education standards are low, is regularly dogged by rumours of “vampire” activity.
Many Malawians, especially in the country’s rural south, believe in reports that teams of “blood suckers” are murdering poor people on a nightly basis, draining their blood and selling it to international aid agencies in return for food.
Vague in all but the nastiest details, the bizarre stories have become so widespread that the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President George Chaponda’s nephew, Olendo, is accused of harbouring the vampires and villagers ransacked property at his mansion in Thyolo.
According Mussa the rumours of “anamapopa” in Mulanje has the potential to derail government’s effort under his ministry in promoting the country as a tourism destination but also as a preferred destination for foreign and direct investment.
“No tourist or investor would like to come to a country whose citizens are attacking others due to such misguided beliefs. I would like therefore to ask and warn all those involved to stop this malpractice immediately since this practice is tarnishing the image of our beautiful country,” Mussa said.
On his part, Minister of Information who is also government spokesperson, Nicholous Dausi blamed the whole issue on opposition political parties and some Civil Society Organizations as perpetrators of the saga with an aim of tarnishing the image of the government and to buy sympathy from the poor Malawians in the affected districts.
“As government we condemn the barbaric behavior which is happening in Mulanje and Nsanje of killing innocent people believed to be blood suckers, we want to tell the nation that these claims are not true,” Dausi said.
Dausi told reporters that it is very strange that those political parties who are fond of making noise on any issue even those less important issues have been quiet on blood suckers, yet people are being attacked and six lives has been lost, enough evidence to conclude that they are the ones behind all the attacks and rumours with ill intentions.
“We have 55 political parties and over 515 CSOs in the country many of these are always in the media speaking on a number of issues, accusing government even on silly issues but to our surprise these people are all quiet yet six lives has been lost, investors are being chased, goods and properties of some innocent people are being ransacked.
“There’s one person called Lawrence Sitolo in Nsanje who alleges got an SMS on his phone threatening him and that others were asking him to join DPP with money, MCP were all over blaming government, its president wrote donor community on a thing which had no basis and a mere fabrication but now people are being killed through mob justice and what have they done, remain quiet, were watching we know some of the parties and CSOs are behind this.”
The Minister said since the rumour started making rounds, government has directed the police and members of private security organizations to make sure that there is a twenty four hour surveillance to find out who is behind this immoral behavior.
“We are working on the ground with the police to find out who is behind this, and mark my words, we will catch them,” said Dausi adding that government would not let innocent souls lost because of some beliefs which are not true at all.
He added that as a nation people needed to come together in sensitizing people in those areas that there are no blood suckers.
“I am calling upon chiefs, faith based organizations, members of parliament, councilors, teachers and the business community to come together to sensitizing people that there is no such a thing as blood suckers. You can imagine that one person, a lady, was killed because he had a lipstick which was suspected to be an instrument used to suck blood, that’s unfortunate,” Dausi said.
While conquering with Dausi, Mussa said it is very disturbing to have people behind what he calls unfortunate actions which will have very negative impact on the nation’s image if not well handled and warned that if those that have been arrested implicates any politician or CSO as to be behind the whole issue, government will not hesitate but to bring that one to book.
“I want to concur with my fellow cabinet minister in condemning the recent acts of mob justice on fellow Malawians and the touring Belgian couple who have obviously been mistaken for blood suckers in Mulanje, Phalombe districts and surrounding areas,” Mussa said.
He further said stories of blood sucking in the country are mere rumors which have been making rounds from sometime back and should not be believed.
“The prevailing vampire paranoia situation in Mulanje and surrounding areas has the potential to derail our efforts in promoting our country as a tourism destination but also as preferred destination for foreign and direct investment,” Mussa explained.
Mussa then challenged those who have evidence that their relative or anyone blood was sucked to come forward.
Vigilantes have so far killed six people suspected of trying to obtain and drink human blood as part of magic rituals since mid-September, according to police.
The six people were killed in three separate incidents in the area surrounding Mulanje Mountain.
The most recent attack came on Sunday when an angry mob beat two people to death because they “suspected the two (victims) of being blood suckers”, said police spokesperson James Kadadzera.
The victims were travelling to pray close to the mountain when they were intercepted by a violent crowd on their way through a village.
In another incident, Kadadzera said a local chief was killed by a group accusing him of colluding with men suspected of consuming human blood.
The United States embassy in Malawi has temporarily withdrawn its team of Peace Corps volunteers from the four districts bordering Mulanje and advised its citizens not to visit the area.
In a statement, the embassy blamed “ongoing acts of vigilante justice stemming from rumours of persons attempting to siphon blood from local residents for ritualistic use.”
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Heheheheheheheheheiiiiiiiirrrrrrriiiiii!!!!!!!!! Mr. Ibu and his dpp atha nzeru. I did not know that the opposition can have a say in lomwe belt where dpp says it’s their stronghold. Chaka chino wina afa kadyakarista.
Kikkkkkkk hhahahahahahaha!! koma abale, tikamakuuzani kuti dziko la Malawi lili mmanja mwa anthu opusa wina mapka lero sanazindikilibe!! What is it that opposition has to do with this?and which opposition are you talking about? are you not aware that it is your own opposition? when you fail to do the good thing, you do the bad thing, 100% security is in your hands, who is failing opposition or you and your D.P.P? Wait a minute, the opposition you are talking about should not be the one led by Chakwera, please Ministers reverse if that is what you are trying to say, Kikkkkkkkkkk you are playing with fire, leave this guy Chakwera please,please!muvutika naye ndipo simunati, akavuta ameneyo, i would just like you to take your 24hrs security as you have done, and protect people.
As many comments are saying these Districts are homes for D.P.P i agree with them, surely these people has to be protected, but why are you wasting time with these so called conferences talking about opposition?
Mufuna afe anthu angati kaye ndipamene mutumize achitetezo?sanakwanebe amene mukufunawo?
MPHAKA WAKO AKAYAMBA KUDYA NKHUKU ZAKO ZOMWE DZIWA KUTI WASANDUKA BVUMBWE OFUNIKA KUPHA, D.P.P yasanduka Bvumbwe yayamba kudya wanthu wake womwe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All along I thought Dausi has a brain. But the rubbish that he uttered at the News Conference simply revealed that he is just carrying an empty head hence only rubbish comes from his mouth. DPP has failed to run the affairs of this country full stop.
Fools in neck ties. A Msondawo achita kulusatu ngati akupangapo zaphindu. Zomvetsa chisoni kwambiri. My worry is if these are the people that are entrusted with the affairs and the running of this country then it only speaks volumes why Malawi is still as poor as we are. Dausi is a mere Kayombe who I hear was hand picked by Kamuzu as a Librarian @ Sanjika and further because of his boot liking tendencies he automatically qualified as a Cabinet minister in the current administration. One can not expect anything constructive from him. But the other gentleman is classical graduate and I wonder why he is stooping so low in criticising the Opposition and the NGOs on the Vampire claims. Mavuto tili nawo. Mulungu Landitsani Malawi. Mpulumutseni ku anthu oipa. Amen.
IF PETER HAS BALLS HE SHOULD FIRE THESE IDIOTS. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE MAKING HIM TO LOOK ST%PID.
”Even the climate change is because of MCP, ” KKKKKKKK koma umbuli sizinthu. Ngati zakuvutani just bow down ena ayeseko mwai, not ma lame excuse ngati amenewa,
Mukuona ngati ndife vidude eti. Thus a poor xcuse from a the govt. shirehighlands is your strong hold and dare you say MCP and its allies are behind the rumour. Shame on you Mr
So there are opposition parties in Thyolo and Mulanje? I thought these are districts where 99% are DPP?
YOU IDIOTS!!!! HOW DO YOU RELATE THIS ISSUE TO OPPOSITION PARTIES. WHY CANT DPP ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE FAILED TO RULE THE COUNTRY. AT FIRST IT WAS ALBINO KILLING AND NOW IT IS BLOOD SUCKING. ALL HAPPENING UNDER THW WATCH OF APM AND HIS DPP. VERY BAD INDEED!!!!!
Opposition? You DPP Morons you must be fools, first grade fools for that matter. Zopopana magazi zili rampant in your own stronghold area aka Mulhakho belt, so where is the connection with opposition parties? Mwatha nzerutu apa. Or you are referring to UDF coz lomwe belt was also once a UDF master bedroom before Daniel Phiri kuzinga chipani cha UDF poyera yera. Muyaluka tu simunati
This is just to justify that dpp has more educated savages, so what is going to assist you to find solution to this problem? Whole minister thinking awkwardly that CSOs and opposition are behind this blood sucking myth? Indeed these are educated fools. Civil servants no salaries because the president was at UNGA, endless blackouts that are leading to closing down of many businesses yet you are talking of single digit inflation. Why dpp leaders have turned to be cowards surviving on lies? Why Henry Mussa should sink so low as a rabied animal? Dausi is already a half baked politician, a boot licker who dwells on appeasment so no wonder he can vomit such a nonsense. With this cowardice dpp is going no where, you are completely destroying yourself. FOOLS
This is just to justify that indeed dpp has more educated savages, what will assist y
It is unfortunate that the vampires issue has not been addressed soberly by those in government. The press brief was a waste of time and resources to say. However, the issue at hand is a serious security threat and developmental challenge. People are afraid of doing work in the affected areas. Leave behind the cheap politics and make some reasonable action please!
It is wrong for government to bring politics into this issue
Mlomwe wathedwa zeru ayamba kuyamwana magazi kuti awine ma by election chinachipanti pano kuli zinachipanti mwachibwino mwayamba kuyamwa zizukulu zanu
The govt is weak. It has all the resources to contain the situation. DPP is ruling don’t blame on opposition when we are losing innocent lives.
Boma ili ndiye mbola yeniyeni. Nkhani iyi palinso za opposition? Takaauzani angulu osaphunzirawo kuti kulibe opopa magazi. Ngati akuopa kwambiri apite kwa a DC akawalongosolere bwino. Wayilesi yawo imagwira ku mocambique. Press conference mukupangayo palibe atamvepo. MUkanene ku mulhakho akamva.
vuto ndi lakuti apolisi amakondera magwiridwe a ntchito yawo , mwachitsazo nachipanti atagwidwa adanena bwinobwino kuti amatumidwa and yet the police just ignored when they should have gone a step ahead to find who was buying the blood from nachipanti. for sure nachipanti sanali yekha. it was a syndicate and he (nachipanti) was just a pawn in the game. somebody big with money might have been behind this. chifukwa chosafufuza mokwanira by the police , it leads to speculation and the end result is innocent victims.
Vampires exist and its not only in malawi. its all over the world there are evil people that use human blood as a ritual and police need to arrest them and not dismissing the stories as untrue when we have collins bandawe still in custody because of the same issue.
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkk empty heads. Everything which is haunting the government is said to be a done by opposition. Did opposition chase Chakwera in Rumphi as well. This govt has heads which are full of mamina. So Msonda is top government official….mxii my foot
DPP kuli anthu oganizakoma mmmmmm
@ Watipa, I wonder big time… these guys aint serious
Dausi, opposition is waiting for for you to act. You are the one who is sending dpp to kill opposition and it is you who is involved in namapopa in Mulanje your strong hold area. Do not mention Opposition here we are not children when we witnessed women in Chiradzulu chopped their breasts during UDF and now namapopa in dpp very shame.
Why you say if someone implicate any politician or any CSO’s you won’t hestate? Do you know already that a Politician or C SO’s member will be implicated? Or maybe you want them to be implicated?
Nde mwati ndi a opposition, mwasowa chokamba. Kapena boma lakukanikani
A mussa ,you are in government and you have all machinery(security detail) under your control that can help can to police this issue of Namapopa.Why spending much of your time pointing at opposition.mungowononga nthawi athandizeni abale anuwa.and why these issues from the word go zimangochitikaa kumwera kwanuko he! .munadulana mabele,albino panopa izi.a!a! koma mitchona inu?alomwe inu mutitha ndithu.
We have dunderheads as our cabinet ministers.
So Mr Dausi thinks the opposition and CSO’s are responsible for these “namapopa” stories and yet the same ruling party kicked out their own MP Bon Kalindo for expressing disgust and demonstrating against the Albino saga because government was doing very little. What are you telling the nation? As government, what have you done to curb these heinous acts which are only concentrated in one area? We are not dumb Mr Minister and please do not divert people’s attention from what seems to be government’s failure to bring these acts to an end. Villages and communities have been mentioned where these are taking place; not in Chitipa, not in Mwanza, not in Salima, not in Nsanje, but in Mulanje/Thyolo areas. Give us a break. There is no politics here. And in case you are not aware, this is not a new story in Malawi. It has happened before in the past just like the witchcraft stories concerning Mr Thindwa. Find a solution to the problem before more innocent lives are killed instead of always pointing a finger at the opposition and CSO’s.
Nanu a Dausi, mwati mulowetsemo politics basi hahhahahahahah
kulephera kuna nayo tulo MCP kumeneko? what a shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These DPP guys are indeed useless. They have completely run out of ideas. This is a clear sign of failure and desperation. They do not know what to do. When you see those in Government start blaming the opposition just know that things are out of control. Shameless government.