Malawi Police arbitrarily shot and kill two in Lilongwe

July 27, 2015 Wanga Gwede- Nyasa Times 62 Comments

Malawi Police Service has continued to apply a ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy with the latest victims being Luke Lumbani Msonda and Lawrance Kawonga, who were arbitrarily shot and killed in Lilongwe as thy were coming from Area 25 together with a friend.

Shoot to kill
Shoot to kill

Police attacked the three and snatched cash which they had. Apparentl, Msonda has gone to collect money from his debtors in Area 25.

They were reportedly shot at a forest in what relations are calling “murder”.

Police then took the two men’s bodies to Kamuzu Central Hospital’s mortuary alleging they were robbers.

However, Kawonga regained consciousness and was rushed to the hospital’s ICU where he’s reported to have narrated the whole ordeal.

A relation to Lumbani Msonda, Ken Msonda, who is Publicity Secretary for the People’s Party, said police action is unacceptable.

“As a family, we are shocked, saddened and confused. If this isn’t the Shoot to Kill policy at work, then it’s a case of mistaken identity,” said Msonda.

The opposition politician claimed Police were after him to apply ‘shoot-to-kill’.

Msonda said Police have taken the life of “innocent brother, who in his entire life never wronged them.”

He added: “ Our lives are in danger [Under DPP regime].”

Malawi Law Society recently called dthe the so-called ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy as unlawful

The society’s secretary Khumbo Soko and president John Suzi Banda said the society had noted with concern that several people suspected of criminal activities have been shot dead by police officers.

The society further said instead of killing suspects, police should provide public safety and protect rights of all Malawians regardless of their status.

According to MLS, although use of lethal force by MPS is regulated by law, firearms should only be used to arrest anyone who attempts to evade lawful arrest or tries to escape from lawful custody.

On the other hand, Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) is on record as saying it is documenting incidences where criminals have been killed by police.

But National Police Headquarters spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo says there is no policy of ‘shoot-to-kill’.

Manjolo said ”where robbers aim at killing innocent civilians and police officers, police officers aim at protecting civilians by disabling the armed robbers.”

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62 replies on “Malawi Police arbitrarily shot and kill two in Lilongwe”

  1. In countries like South Africa a shoot to kill is implemented when criminals have fire arm pointed at police officer, but in countries like Malawi, shoot to kill is for what?

  3. We are living in fear because of thieves and armed robbers. If what people are saying is true, then we should not politicise issues here.l Policemen are at work

  4. chonde asiyeni apolisi agwire ntchito yothana ndi mbava, luka ndi kawongayo zinali mbavazoospya musanyoze apolisi musalowese ndale pa nkhani zambava, tafusani pa vinthukutu zambava zimenezi kuchilumba

  5. Ngati uli mbava sulimba ngongole yokatenga usiku yamtundu wanji and moreover mukudusanso kumandanso mbava ndi zomwezo it’s not a mistaken identify.

  9. Ndikuyamika ntchito yabwino yomwe a Police mukugwira yokupha anthu osakonedza dziko. Komanso musamanyang musamayang’ane nkhope ayi chifukwa enawo ndi abale anunso.A cash gatenso aphedwe mosayang’anira nkhope

  10. Inu anthu musavutike an amenewa ndi mbava zoopsa ask anybody wa ku chilumba akuuzani za ana amenewa achi Kawonga mbava wina amwabera uncle ake a mwenelupembe Kawonga mbava yoopsa.tapitani ku Chilumba pafupi ndi galison mukafunse za ana amenewa.Peolpe are rejoicing …kaya winayo watsitsimukiranji ….ma nurse ndi ma doctors tachitani naye ameneyo

  11. Tinkanena anthera mu siizi. Forcused Malawians condemned the act in the first place while multitudes praised police of the brutle act. They do not have the right to shot un armed person niether have the right to kill an armed suspect .Otherwise innocent productive Mslawians are killed. Shame on u

  14. Ndine munthu m’modzi amene ndimasangalala wakuba akaphedwa. Chifukwa wakuba amabwenzeretsa m’mbuyo, moti ukanapanga zinthu zina umapanga zokuti unapanga kale. Ndikunena pano kunyumba kwanga kunatcholedwa lachinai lathali ndili kuntchito mokuti ndikusakasaka sing’anga amene angapange SHOOT O KILL kwa mbavazi. Akunziwa ayimbe pa 01 871 411 ndine Receptionist mudzayankhula nane direct.

  15. Don’t these Robbers know that it’s not easy for Malawians to get Money in our country? How can they just take sumthing that belongs not to them and expect not to be rewarded? Evil it’s what they strived for. Go well Thieves

  16. Inu a mabungwe bwanji simumamalankhulako wa police akaphedwa? Ndiye kuti mumawatuma ndi inuyo akubawaeti? ndinu anthu oipa ana a satana inu .Nanunso a Msonda mumati mbale wanuyo akuuzeni kuti amaba?

  17. yes malawi,dat z a gud and easy way to so solve that problem bcoz iwo akamapita kukaba sasamala za moyo wa munthu ndipo amakhala kuti apha kale ndipo amasainilatu chochitika chichitike so no mess to dem!!

    malawian wa kunja.

  18. My workmate was telling me Luke Msonda was armed robber. They knew each other at Primary school days at Chilumba near the barracks.

  19. If ever there was a time that Malawi Police managed crime so well then it is this time. Criminals or potential criminals are poisonous citizens who mercilessly inflict pain on good citizens.

  20. Nob14. Do you know kuti it’s only 5% ya Mbava zimene zimaululana? So what information do you get. Look this time while am posting this am still very scared kuti kucha?

  21. Kill them we are leaving in fear kuti kaya kucha mawa Chifukwa cha Anthu amenewa. Eliminate all of them mwina ting aone Malawi watsopano, wangwiro. Akuliralirawo ndiye kuti sanakumane nazo. Talus a mamilioni ife.

  22. Malawipolice becarefull.I am going to wipe your stations with Isis formula.watch wait and see.stop killing people.arrest them and let them prove their innocence in court.

  23. No. 14 and 9 i like ur comments they r very wise. How DPP pays police k40000? Stupid government. Chakwera bail us out.

  29. It is Wellcome.Adzidandaula ndiabale awo akuwatumao.Amabungwe pepani mukhaleno chete we know mumap0chera ma USD thru such mamaring from ure masters.Mulipo kagulu u selling our intagrity.Mupeze podyera Pena .Munatiphera Bingu limodzi ndi mbava Zamipingo.Now u want to confuse even this one .Tiona

  33. amene sanabeledwe akhoza kumakamba za Chamba wina ndi uyu kudedza wafa imfa ya Yohane m’batizi why, the police was idle to act, musova shoot to kill most welcome.

  34. Department of police must train our police how to react to the suspect Coz lnoncent people were killed how come the police shot un-arm suspect instead to arrest them, that’s bull-shit and u criminals u r failing to develop our poor Malawi ur keeping-on attacking people and robbing them especially in Lilongwe r u happy with this policy shoot and kill? No guys am shocked.

  35. MBAVA IZI NDANI SAKUZIDZIWA MU LILONGWE. POLICE FORWARD WITH PROTECTING THE NATION. NGATI MUKUFUNA IFE A MCP TIKHOZA KUKUTHANDIZANI NDI A MALAWI YOUNG PIONEER ANGAPO!!! MBALA MUNYA APOLICE SAKUYESA AYI….KU FOREST MUMAKATANI?

  36. Kadakwiza if you could have said that you’re missing Aleke Banda I could have agreed with you not unprincipled Late Chakufwa Chihana who was a puppet of Bakili Muluzi.

  41. a police mpaka kumupha munthu osangomulanda ndalamazo poti agalu inu munazolowera kudya za ulere. koma a Kachama mukungoyang’ana zomwe akuchita anthu anu

  42. Boma la anthu wokhala ku chikamwini ndi choncho. No clue. I wonder northerners are still in this useless government. I thought by now Malawians we could have voting for a yes or no vote to secession of the north. I really miss Chakufwa Chihana.

  46. The guy msonda has been terrorising area 36 amakhala kwa mwenyekondo pa mchapa (brazil saloon) as you go to phwetekere, anakwatila vilet. ndi kabwerebwere and pakatipa anathawira ku blantyre.ken akudziwa bwino. bravo our police

  49. I acknowledge the effort of the Malawi Police in tackling crime in Malawi which is rising at a shocking and alarming rate , Malawi Police bosses , have you considered using Taser guns? For the sake of people who do not know ,Taser gun is a non lethal small gun that discharges dart like electrodes which stay connected to the main gun to deliver electric current causing neuromuscular incapacitation as a result the target get shocked ndiye amagwa ndi shokoyo immediately then the Police make their arrest with no problem. I am suggesting this because sooner or later a police will be found kuti mwapha munthu osalakwa. With Tazer , a victim recovers after a while then you can hear his or her side of the story and in fact akakhaladi kuti ndi mbava you have the advantage yakuti you can get more information from them which will possibly lead you to more arrest and convictions, On the other hand I strongly understand why a Malawi are in favour of the so called ”SHOOT TO KILL” chifukwa kuba to be fair kwafika pena pache. God help us

  50. Our professional policemen keep it up. All what we need is peace and tranquility. We don’t want to harbour thieves like Lumbani Msonda. At least these days we have few cases of burglarly and bank thieving. Iphani a police.

  51. When the General Secretary of Living Waters Church said the Pastors were attacked in what was mistaken identity some people doubted. The truth of matter is shoot to kill just like mob justice creates an opportunity where the probability that 1 person in every 10 people will be an innocent victim. The following are not good a) Capital Punishment (In US 10% of those killed are innocent). b) Shoot to kill c) mob justice. There is need to revisit such approaches.

  52. The fact that Ken Msonda is the mouth piece of a party/group and has a loud mouth is not a guarantee that if he has relatives who go about distabilising and infringing the public peace then the law will fail to exercise it’s jurisdiction? Mind you, if these people were just shot for no reason then the shooter has also got to face the law, but if any form of unlawfulness was perpetrated then I find nothing wrong with the act. Finally, let us give the law a chance and see how it will flex it’s muscle.

  56. Really some innocent people will be killed due to such unlawful behaviour and triger happy officers. They were unarmed why shooting instead of arresting? Such policy will make some of the police life at threat bcoz criminals will start targetting them hence innocent police officers be killed in revenge. Yes u have powers but do that accordingly not just haphazardly.

  57. Apolice gwirani ntchito yanu. use shoot to kill policy. inu amene mumati ndinu a human rights mumanena zakuti apolice should not use shoot to kill policy ndinu opsa . mudzachenjera akuba ndi nfuti atabwera at your door step and grab your neck. Malawi police KEEP IT UP. GUN THESE THUGS DOWN TO PRESERVE OUR OLD UFULU AND MTENDERE.

  58. Too bad, I went to see a relative at KCH and came across the other youngman short by the police in the icu ward.
    The story is shocking and heartbeat, the youngman and his friend were shot and robbed.
    Cry my beloved nation!

  59. Tatiuzani chinachitika kwenikweni nchani? You mean police can just shoot at innocent person without wronged the? Msonda Ken shouldnt conclude.

  60. Chenjezo kwa anzanga okonda mpira ngati ine, season yomwe yatsala pangono kuyambayi ndi bwino tisiye kuonela mpila usiku oterwise tonse atithila mpholopolo ndithu. Nde uganyulenso team ya wa police hoooh usiya mkazi wako ali widow ndithu,

  61. wa police ndimwe vizeleza chomene. mwanawakwithu ku mupoto mwamukomelachi. tilute ku ku phoka tamupenja mankhwala mose tilowenge kusazgako cha peter muthalika chambula mino

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