By Martin Chiwanda, MANA
There is great concern on the increase of murder cases in Nsanje as one has been recorded over the weekend of 58-year-old Jackson Panyapo from Khaana Village in Traditional Authority Mlolo, who is believed to have been killed between Saturday and Sunday.
From January this year to date, seven murder cases have been recorded in the district against six last year during the same period, according to police records.
Police are on the manhunt for all homicides
Just last week, a five-year-old boy, Mavuto Zeka of Makhwangwe Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Ndamera was found dead in the morning of May 11.
Police in Nsanje are on the hunt for the unknown murderers for all the homicides in the district.
According to Nsanje Police spokesperson, Sub-Inspector Agnes Zalakoma the recent deceased, Panyapo was staying alone in a temporary shelter situated in a bushy area after being rejected by his relatives and was discovered him dead by his nephew, Alex Kathumba.
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Community leaders reported the matter to police, who visited the scene and took the body to Fatima Health Centre for postmortem where it was ascertain that death was due to excessive loss of blood secondary to a big cut on the neck.
As for the five-year-old Mavuto Zeka the PRO revealed the deceased’s parents separated in April this year over family wrangles and it is alleged that the man, who was a stepfather to the deceased, had been threatening that he would kill the woman or any of her relatives as revenge.
Mavuto Zeka was then found dead in the house where he slept with his eight-year-old brother and a postmortem indicated he died due to suffocation secondary to physical assault.
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Meanwhile, an angry mob in Nsanje has burnt to death a suspected thief identified by the Nsanje Police PRO as Paul Tchale Nyamphoka from Mpambachulu Village in Traditional Authority Nyachikadza in the district.
Zalakoma said the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Faindi Village in Nyachikadza’s area.
It is reported that Zonse Jimu was sleeping together with his wife when he suddenly noticed light in the house and upon investigating the source of the light Jimu accosted an intruder, whom he immediately identified as Nyamphoka.
Coronavirus alert
The police spokesperson explains that Nyamphoka attacked Jimu who shouted for help that attracted villagers to come.
The angry mob apprehended, assaulted and burnt the suspect to death,” according to Zalakoma.
“The victim was immediately taken to Ndamera Health Centre for medical examination where it was confirmed the suspected thief died due to severe burns,” said Zalakoma.
She further said enquiries are in progress to trace people who were involved in the mob justice.
Coronavirus alert
In a related development, police are also hunting for unknown criminals who stole 13 cattle in the early hours of Sunday at Bilitinyu Village in the district.
The law enforcers foiled the theft of the cattle as two men, who were droving the herd, ran away leaving the cattle behind.
Police recovered the livestock and took them to Traditional Authority Ndamera before it was discovered the cattle were stolen from Alex Msunje Thole of Bilitinyu Village in the area.