Police in the Eastern Malawi district of Machinga are keeping in custody two men for wounding a 67-year-old woman suspected of practising witchcraft.
Medson Jafali, 29, and Wilson Misokwe, 28, both from Maniya Village in Traditional Authority Chikweo in Machinga were arrested on Monday.
The two—who were on the run since January—are alleged to have hacked Margaret Wesele with a panga. They claimed that she was responsible for the death of a young girl early this year.
Machinga Police spokesperson Amos Martin Tione confirmed the arrest on Wednesday and said the suspects will answer charges of causing grievous harm contrary to Section 238 of the Penal Code.
The woman failed to attend the funeral ceremony of the child, who was her relative, because she heard that some people were accusing her of causing the death.
“They hacked her leg and she fainted immediately. She was then taken to Zomba Central Hospital where they amputated her leg,” said Tione.
Wesele, who has spent a month at the hospital, was discharged last week. Police are still hunting for the third suspect.
Executive director for Association of Secular Humanism (ASH), George Thindwa, has condemned the two suspects.
Meanwhile, Thindwa has promised to provide an artificial leg to Wesele by next month to aid her with mobility.
