* There are many people including young boys aged between 12 to 15 years involved in robberies and assault, usually happening between midnight and 3am
* Many criminals are hiding behind these bars, posing as customers, but committing crimes like violent robbery and assault during the night
By Sylvester Kumwenda, MANA
Worried over high crime rate at Dzaleka refugee camp, Dowa Police have sounded an alert to stakeholders for their interventions to counter the development, which has been attributed to due to many bars operating illegally and beyond midnight as nightclubs.
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The call was made yesterday during a district executive committee meeting, where police revealed that there are worrying numbers of crimes happening at night like assaults and robberies with violence.
Speaking in an interview, Assistant Commissioner of Police, who is also Station Officer for Dowa Police, Annie Kaunda said most crimes can be attributed to the presence of many bars operating way beyond midnight within the camp, and harboring criminals.
“Currently at Dzaleka camp, the crime rate is high because there are many people including young boys aged between 12 to 15 years involved in robberies and assault,” she said. “This is usually happening between midnight and 3am.
“After much analysis, in conjunction with community police, we realised that this can be attributed to the presence of many bars, some licensed and some not, operating as nightclubs and way beyond midnight within the camp.
“So, many criminals are hiding behind these bars, posing as customers, but committing crimes like violent robbery and assault during the night.”
One such bar at Dzaleka
The Assistant Commissioner added that the criminals are ambushing and attacking people on the roads and this has now become a challenge.
Thus she called for stakeholders, including the District Council, Plan International, camp management and others to come together and find ways of addressing the issue in order to protect people’s lives and properties.
“We are bringing this up because the issue has become a challenge so that we may find ways to address the issue, especially on the licenses of these bars operating as night clubs, which as we said is fueling crime activities during the night,” she said.
Speaking during the meeting, Dowa District Council director of administration, Thomas Mwafongo said they expect any licensee to operate within their condition of licenses and urged all to report any licensee operating beyond conditions.
“If there are any issues to do with the licenses, we need these to be reported to the Council,” he said. “From there, we can do appropriate inspections and evaluations, and if there are any violations, we can cancel that license and close that place.
“But this is a valid concern because it has to do with security and worth following up,” he said.
On his part, chairperson for civil society organisations (CSOs) in Dowa, Maxwell Kadutsa commended the police for highlighting the issue, saying cases of security are of paramount importance.
He then called for the stakeholders to engage in round-table discussions and find solutions: “This needs to be addressed to make sure all the bars at Dzaleka camp are not operating illegally to reduce crime.
“As the police indicated, crime cases are high there and this is very concerning for the district and we need to do something about it,” he said.
Situated just over 41km from the capital city, Lilongwe, Dzaleka Refugee Camp was opened in 1994 with a capacity to host 10,000 to 12,000 refugees and asylum seekers but is now home to over 52,000 from countries like Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Ethiopia.
Just last week, Dowa Police arrested nine Ethiopian nationals, aged between 16 and 23 years, for allegedly residing at Dzaleka Refugee Camp without proper documentation.
The nine Ethiopian nationals
Dowa police station public relations officer, Alice Sitima told Malawi News Agency (MANA) in an interview that they received information indicating that some Ethiopians residing in the camp were harboring fellow nationals who lacked valid travel documents.
“Acting on this intelligence, the OC and his team conducted a search of a suspected residence within the camp, which led to the discovery of the nine individuals concealed within the home of Tsadat Tseleka, a 24-year-old Ethiopian national.
“Upon questioning them, the suspects failed to provide documentation verifying their legal stay in Malawi, which led to their arrest,” said Sitima, adding that the detainees will soon appear in court to answer charges leveled against them.
Also, that investigations are under way to identify and apprehend anyone involved in harboring illegal immigrants.—Edited by Maravi Express
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