Fear has gripped Area 25 residents in Lilongwe following attacks on people and murder cases in the past three months.
Since May, five people have been killed, with the recent incident happening on Tuesday in Area 25C.
In an interview on Wednesday, a salon owner Temwa Banda, said the security lapse has forced her to close her business early.
She said: “In the past, I used to close my salon around 9pm and felt safe walking home. I would make good money because most customers come late after work.
“But now, I close as early as 6pm out of fear.”
Another resident Peter Sayikonde, who works at a factory in Kanengo, shared a similar experience.
He said he used to walk from Kanengo to save on transport costs.
“Nowadays, we can’t take that risk anymore and we are forced to spend on transport to protect our lives,” said Sayikonde.
Area 25 Community Policing Forum chairperson Henry Madzimayera said they have sought assistance from local companies to provide protective equipment.
“We want to train our neighbourhood officers on how to protect people and defend themselves when under attack from the assailants,” he said.
However, Kanengo Police Station spokesperson Gresham Ngwira backed the police’s ongoing patrols, urging the community against spreading rumours on social media regarding the deaths.
“We have never stopped the patrols. People must not jump to conclusions when they find someone dead. We are actively working to ensure safety in the area,” he said.
