Malawi Police arrest father, son for whacking suspected thief

Malawi Police in Blantyre have arrested a 60 year-old man Masauko Mbewe and his son, Action for injuring a suspect believed to have stolen sugar cane from their garden.

Mbewe and his 24 year-old son are said to have caught the victim stealing sugar cane, and instead of taking him to Police, they just dealt with him by cutting his ligaments on his legs.

The incident happened on July 11 around 8pm near Sky Ways Business College in the commercial capital, Blantyre, according to Constable Andrew Mayawo, Assistant spokesperson for Blantyre Police.

“Masauko Mbewe and his son guard the sugar cane field at night and on this material day, they bumped into the victim and caught him stealing sugar cane.

“They severely whacked him and left him half dead. The victim was then rushed to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital where he regained conscious and his still admitted to the hospital,” said Mayawo.

Mayawo then urged the general public to avoid mob justice, saying suspects are always innocent until proven by competent court of law.

“As police, we will allow justice to prevail. We have levelled charged against them because they have flouted the country’s laws.

“The best they could have done was to take the person to Police than executing mob justice. Mob justice is no good. It’s an offence. It is the courts that have the mandate to give punishments to those proven to have committed an offence,” said Mayawo.

Mbewe and his son hails from Teza village, Traditional Authority Ganya in Ntcheu district, but they based in Mbayani while the victim hails from M’biza village,