Suspected thief killed as mob justice cases increase in Malawi
Barely a week after a suspected robber was killed in a mob justice in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kalonga in Salima, another man suspected of wanting to steal livestock was also killed by a mob on Friday night in the same area.
Salima Police spokesperson Sergeant Gift Chitowe said the suspect Lemison Masiku 38, died from serious head injuries after being heavily beaten by the angry mob from Namatewo Village.
Police also said the deceased left his home, Tsoyo Village in the area of TA Kalonga and went to the nearby Namatewe Village where he was caught breaking into a goat kraal belonging to a Mr. Tsoka.
“The owner of the goats, his children, servants and others, pounced on the suspect beating him with hands and other heavy objects,” said the Police Statement.
The statement further said that post-mortem at Salima district hospital revealed that late Masiku died of serious head injuries.
The deceased was a family man.
Police appeal
Meanwhile, Police ha said the public is not supposed to kill, burn or stone to death thieves or suspected criminals.
Police spokesman Dave Chingwalu urged citizen not to take the law into their hands and let justice take its course.
The police have raised an alarm on the rising cases of mob justice and called for cooperation between police and the pubic to apprehend criminals instead of killing them.
But the public has been accusing the police of tardy responses, bungled investigations and corruption.
They argue that if the police fail to do their job, then the community must take over.
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