Murder, suicide, traffic accidents rise in Mzuzu

A station executive committee report for Mzuzu covering January to June 2019 has indicated an increase in murder cases and traffic accidents by 120 and 255 percent, respectively compared to the same period last year.

While five murder cases were registered from January to June 2018, 11 were registered during the same period this year. On the other hand, traffic accidents have jumped from 42 to 149 cases, representing a 255 percent increase.

According to the report, suicide cases have also moved to 14 from three last year. However, defilement cases have reduced from 38 to 35 while rape cases have increased to two from one last year.

The increase has been attributed to police officers’ busy schedule during the period such as during the tripartite elections, national examinations and post election protests.

The committee’s chairperson Mainsh Rampariya said it will continue to work hand in hand with the police to make Mzuzu a crime-free area.

“Mzuzu is probably one of the safest cities. So, we will continue to offer support to police so that we end crime,” he said.

Mzuzu Police station officer Lovemore Mwabumba  said the station will engage an extra gear to address the issues. He said his team will take measures to address the problem during the remaining half of the year.