Police explain Mphepozinayi unit closure

Police in Ntcheu say its officers did not abandon Mphepozinayi Unit but were recalled because of lack of a structure to house a police unit.

Ntcheu Police Station spokesperson Gift Matewere was reacting to a story carried in The Nation of September 9 2016 that the officers abandoned the area.

In the story, community members said the police’s action has led to an increase in crime rate in the area.

But Matewere said the building constructed to house the unit was sub-standard.

He said the unit was at first housed in a rented house whose owner terminated the lease agreement. The community then took an initiative to build the police unit on condition that they get the plan from the police.

Said Matewere: “After sometime, we were informed that a police unit was built, but without consulting us.

“We went to inspect the structure but we were not satisfied with its standards and we condemned it [as] not fit to be a police unit since it was built far from the community and the structure itself was fragile, not worth for housing criminals.”

He said the police officers are ready to return to Mphepozinayi whenever the community meets building standards.

Matewere also said they agreed with the community to extend a structure at Mphepozinayi Trading Centre, which was formerly used as a post agency.