Mangochi People’s shop smashed

Irate people yesterday smashed the Mangochi People’s Supermarket and Metro shops amid demonstrations that followed adjournment of a court case where a butcher sued representatives of Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) in the district.

But police and MAM have differed on who was responsible for the damage.

People’s Trading Centre (PTC) general manager Rob Spoolder on Wednesday confirmed the incidents in a telephone interview.

Said Spoolder: “Yes, there have been some problems at our shops in Mangochi, but I do not know the causes. We have just closed the shops.”

Mangochi Police spokesperson Rodrick Maida said the incident started at Maldeco Trading Centre, about 22 kilometres north of Mangochi Boma, where some members of the Muslim community confiscated a pig which a butcher was selling at the market.

Police said the aggrieved butcher took the matter to Mangochi Magistrate’s Court.

Said Maida: “When the case came up for hearing, it attracted a number of Muslims who gathered at the court. It was then adjourned from 9am to 2pm and it was during that time that Metro and People’s shops were smashed.”

Besides the People’s and Metro shops, a wholesale shop trading as Affordable Wholesale was also broken into and money amounting to K500 000 (about $1 250) was reportedly stolen, according to Maida.

But chairperson of MAM in Mangochi, Adam Imran Suwedi, has distanced the Muslim community from the damage and theft.

Suwedi confirmed there was a case at the court about a pig but added that all Muslims were at the court and were peaceful.

He said encroachers chased from Kwitambo Forest Reserve could have been responsible for the damage.

Maida confirmed that the Forestry officials were evicting people from Kwitambo which is near the town.

No arrests have been made yet.