5 nabbed for arson, theft in Dowa

Police in Dowa District have arrested five people for allegedly burning five houses of members of the same family and stealing various household items after accusing the family of killing a person through witchcraft.

In an interview on Saturday, Dowa Police Station spokesperson Alice Sitima said the incident happened on September 13 2023 at Chamvu Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiwere in the district.

She said the issue started when a woman with mental illness from Chiwaya Village was found loitering in the village.

She said: “A family in the area then claimed that the woman was their relative and had just risen after being killed through magic.

“A mob descended on her husband’s home and beat him up. The mob also demolished and set on fire five houses belonging to the husband and his four brothers. People also reportedly stole household items.”

Sitima said police officers arrested five suspects.

They are 53-year-old Austin Kasakula Banda, Nataliya Banda, 48, Zefaniya Banda, 33, Billy Banda, 16, and Akim Banda, 14, from Chamvu Village.

“We advise people to desist from taking the law into their own hands. There are established channels of handling issues and we urge all to report matters to relevant authorities,” she said.

Last year in Traditional Authority Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba, a mob harassed an elderly woman accused over witchraft allegations.