Vice-President visits Nkhata Bay arson victims

Vice-President Everton Chimulirenji on Wednesday visited 22 families whose houses were torched during Tuesday’s fracas between Mkondezi and Msakanene villages in Nkhata Bay District.

The Vice-President, who is also Minister responsible for Department of Disaster Management Affairs, said he had all along known Malawi as a peaceful country and expressed disappointment over what had happened in the district.

“We need to change and go back to our reputation of a peaceful country,” he said.

However, Chimulirenji assured the people of safety and security in the area.

“Government will renovate all houses that were set ablaze during the unfortunate incident which has left people homeless,” he said.

The Veep gave K500 000 to the 22 affected households to buy food as they await relief food which he said would be distributed to them by yesterday.

One of the affected, Anthony Kaunda, thanked government for coming to their rescue as most of them had gone without food for two days.

“We have stayed two days without eating anything. We thank government for the gesture,” he said.

Another victim, Daniel Phiri, appealed to government to provide security to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future.

Government gave K150 000 to the four bereaved families for burial and K400 000 for transport of three bodies to Karonga.

Of the four that died, one was from Nkhata Bay and three from Karonga.