A 21-year-old man has died while 12 others have sustained injuries after a Malawi Defence Force (MDF) tipper hit a minibus today at around 7 o'clock in
Business came to a standstill for over five hours in Nkhotakota on Sunday as irate villagers blocked the lakeshore M5 Road at Chia Bridge in the district, demanding the release of a witchdoctor who was arrested by police over witchcraft allegations.
Officers trying to birng back peace at Chia
Police had to be called in and fired teargas to quell the situation before clearing the road.
Nkhotakota Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Paul Malimwe confirmed of the incident, saying the law enforcers had arrested four men for inciting violence.
Malimwe said the four had been arrested on the night of Sunday on allegation that they incited the people of Chia to gang up against police following the arrest of a witchdoctor allegedly hired by the community members to carryout witchcraft exorcism.
A 46 year old man Wizzy Vitima Mhango who was a whitch doctor, has been arrested in Nkhotakota for charging people with witchcraft.
It is reported that, on June 2020, people of Mgombe village and surrounding villages decided to invite a witchfinder to deal with people accused of practicing witchcraft.
All 24 villages agreed and then group village head man Mgombe called the witch doctor who demanded K400,000 and which he was given.
In November 2020, the witchfinder came and started his job. He stayed in the village for over 3 months.
Later on February 23, 2021, police received a report that at Mgombe a certain man was charging people with witchcraft.