Rights body condemns killing of police officer

Kasungu Civil Society Network has condemned the killing of a police officer in the district, describing the conduct as backward and cowardly.

On December 30, a mob at Mpasazi Scheme in Traditional Authority Mnyanja in Kasungu assaulted Chatoloma Police Unit officer Cosmas Beseni of with pangas and other objects.

On that fateful day, the late Beseni was assigned to ensure that peace and order prevailed at the scheme where there were conflicts related to land.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency on Wednesday, the network’s chairperson Braxton Banda said what happened at Mpasazi is barbaric and should not be happening in an era of human rights.

He said: “We condemn the killing of Sub-Inspector Beseni in strongest terms. It is a shameful and unfortunate incident that we cannot condone.

“We call upon the law enforcers to be on top of their job and see to it that investigations are speedy and suspects face the law in court.”

According to Banda, the district is facing many land wrangles which can best be handled through dialogue.

He said: “The best approach to deal with the many land issues in the district is to encourage dialogue and engagement. Anything outside the laid procedures for handling complaints is utter lawlessness which we also condemn.

“By taking the law in our own hands, we are not solving any problem. By doing that, we are creating more trouble for ourselves. Let the aggrieved parties seek court redress if there are misunderstandings or still, they can report to community policing structures available in their community.”

Asked if any arrests have been made, Central East Police Region spokesperson Esther Mkwanda said the police will make a statement once investigations are completed.

“What I can say as of now is that we are still investigating,” she said.