Man assaulted over witchcraft in Chikwawa

An angry mob at Bwalo Village in Traditional Authority Kasisi’s in Chikwawa on Sunday assaulted a 60- year-old man, accusing him of bewitching a boy who got killed by a crocodile.

The man, Sina Ganifolo, a charcoal dealer in the area, was accused of casting a spell on the boy Sandram Ganizani who died after being attacked by a crocodile along the banks of Shire River.

According to Chikwawa Police Station publicist Foster Benjamin, the boy met his fate as he was playing along the river bank.

“Villagers rushed to the place and retrieved the lifeless boy from the shallow waters. By that time, the crocodile had already escaped. Relatives, descended on Ganifolo suspecting him of having had a hand in the death of the boy. They beat him up and left him for dead,” explained Benjamin.

He further said the victim who complained of general body pains and had visibly swollen eyes managed to escape to Chikwawa Police Station where he was issued a referral letter to the district’s hospital.  Police have since launched an investigation into the matter.

The Malawi Network for the Elderly People (Manepo) through executive director Andrew Kavala has in a number of occasions condemned continued attacks on elderly people describing the tendency as inhumane and unconstitutional.

Still in Chikwawa, police have launched a manhunt for a group of traditional initiation councilors for allegedly

wounding a 12-year-old boy whom they accused of revealing secrets from their initiation camp.

The incident occurred on Monday evening at Mikadzu Village in the area of Traditional Authority Maseya in the district.

“The boy is said to have undergone the rite of passage and graduated on Saturday. After the graduation, which was spiced up by music and dances, he is said to have mobilised his friends who mostly comprised of the uninitiated  and began narrating to them whatever transpired at the camp,” said Benjamin.

After hearing this, the group of councillors in anger went in search of the boy and dragged him back into their camp where they flogged him after tying him up with ropes leaving him severely injured.

Benjamin said if caught, the suspects will answer charges of unlawful wounding.