In a space of three days Isaac Foster, 39, of Neno District has transitioned from being head of a family of six to a widower.
Between Sunday and Tuesday, his wife and three children have died one after another due to suspected food poisoning. The tragedy has also claimed the life of his brother-in-law.
The developments left people of Chekulembera II Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Dambe in the district in shock and some of them went on the prowl, hunting suspected masterminds of the alleged food poisoning.
In the process, three people have been killed by a mob.
Foster, who was discharged from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre, returned to his house in Neno to the sight of six coffins—for his three children, his wife, brother-in-law Mbeta and next for one of the mob justice suspect.
When The Nation visited his house around 6pm on Wednesday, it took about seven minutes for Foster to grant an interview.
“Why has God allowed me to be alive today? I am alone today…. What wrong have I done to this village? Why kill my family? Nditani ine…[What should I do?],” he broke down.
Foster recalled that on Saturday, February 21, he was in the house with his three children and wife. After a while, he said, his friend also popped in and later his in-law Diston Mbeta came.
“It was our Sabbath and we always accommodate people. We had a visitor, Tobias Frank, aged 25,” he said.
At lunch, his wife Faggie prepared nsima with beans, but they did not partake because they felt full as they had taken breakfast around 11am.
“We decided to keep what was supposed to be lunch and eat it in the evening,” he said.
Foster said they had supper around 7pm together with Faggie, Mbeta, Frank and the couple’s three children, namely Prity aged four, seven-year-old Israel and Mike aged 14.
He said it was all good until 1am on Sunday when his last born daughter Prity started vomiting.
“Together with Frank, we took Prity to Matandani Health Centre where we arrived around 4am. She was put on a drip, but her condition did not improve. While at the hospital, my friend Tobias Frank also started vomiting and was given a bed. Next, I also started vomiting and was given a bed too,” narrated Foster.
He said while they were being attended to they received a phone call that his wife and children were also unwell and were rushed to the hospital.
“Diston, Israel, Mike and my wife found us at the hospital. They were just vomiting blood and were rushed to Chikonde Health Centre. The healthcare workers suspected it was cholera, but it was not.
“We were referred to Queens [QECH], but before we had started off I received the bad news that Prity had died. Then I learnt that Diston and Mike [too had died]…..” Foster said before breaking down.
His wife died at QECH around 3pm on Tuesday followed by Mike, leaving him and Frank alive. Frank is still receiving treatment at QECH.
In his family, Foster is remaining with one daughter, Rhoda, who on the fateful day had visited her grandmother.
“This is too much, I deserve death. What wrong have I done to this village?” he kept asking.
Village head Chekulembera II said in a separate interview that following the incident, people from his village hunted suspects and killed three.
The Nation on Wednesday visited the village where the suspects were coming from, but could not find anyone to speak on their behalf.
Group village head (GVH) Chekulembera said that on Sunday some men launched a hunt for people they suspected of poisoning Foster’s family.
He said the mob killed Ekisoni Mkomadzinja on Monday before assaulting to death an elderly woman, Eginati Dotolo aged 79. Then on Tuesday, the irate mob killed a single mother of five, Nasifeya Kamenya.
“I called the police to help us calm the situation. They came and managed to rescue Nasifeya, but moments later the mob took charge and killed her. I am saddened to see this happening in my village. I am disappointed,” said GVH Chekulembera.
On the other hand, village head Chekulembera 2 said he rescued two children suspected to have been used to poison Foster’s family.
“The mob wanted to kill them. They are both aged seven. I took them and rushed to the police. They are now in police hands,” he said.
Neno Police Station spokesperson Rabecca Msoliza said in an interview on Wednesday that police and health officials visited the scene on Tuesday afternoon and that three people are in custody in connection with the incident.
Neno district health officer Caroline Banda said they have sent samples to the Public Health Institute of Malawi laboratory in Lilongwe for testing.
