Mchinji again! Another woman murdered: Belief in witchcraft runs deep in Malawi

As Malawi is still remembering a teen girl who was brutally murdered by her cousin and had her private parts removed in Mchinji, police in the central region border district with Zambia are now hunting for Gift Mayibegi suspected of killing his fiancé on the night of Sunday the 3rd May 2015.

Mchinji police spokesman Moses Kajawa Nyirenda said Mayibegi is alleged to have murdered his fiancée Patricia Chirwa at Kaigwazanga village in the area of senior chief Mkanda in Mchinji district.

Chirwa was killed and dumped in the bush where she was discovered by members of the community who reported to police.

Clinician Kalipinde of Mchinji District Hospital conducted a post-mortem and reported that Chirwa died because of severe head injuries as she was beaten with a hard wood.

The suspect is at large.

Malawi Minister of Gender, Children and Social welfare Patricia Kaliati has since deplored acts of brutally murdering people to extract genitals for rituals.

Kaliati made the remarks on Tuesday when she visited the family of Janet Chitedze who was brutally murdered Selemani Medson aged 21. The suspect was arrested between Namitete and Mchinji boma on Friday the 1st May 2015.

“Government is concerned with criminal activities occurring in the district, and we are working with the police to ensure that there is security in the district,” she said.

Kaliati who also visited a victim of domestic violence Linda Phulani, who was severely beaten by her husband in the same district on Friday last week, said it is appalling that Mchinji is in the news for the wrong reasons.

“Where is humanity? How can a man murder his own cousin and remove her private parts just because he wants to get rich? If you want to get rich work hard and venture into farming,” said a visibly concerned Kaliati.

She also condemned men who abuse their wives, saying men should take care of their families,

Senior Chief Mkanda also condemned the brutal murder.

Meanwhile, the Magistrate court in Mchinji on Monday the 4th of May 2015 sent Selemani Medsoni on remand at Maula Prison and committed his murder case to High Court.

Medsoni says he was persuaded by a witchdoctor to remove genital of the deceased to be used for rituals to make him get rich quick.

Belief in witchcraft and traditional medicine run deep in this former British colonial nation, largely dominated by Christians.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :