Police on the hunt for unknown criminals over gruesome murder of two shop security officers in Salima

* Both deceased persons were assaulted on the head using a rail metal bar which was later left at the scene

* Postmortem results from Salima District Hospital indicated that death was due to severe head injuries secondary to broken skulls

* One shop broken into and robbed of cigarettes amounting to K1,465,250 and K3.7 million hard cash

By Fostina Mkandawire, MANA

Police in Salima have launched a manhunt for unknown people who killed two shop security officers during the night of May 5, 2024, at Lifidzi trading centre in the area of Senior Chief Ndindi.

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According to Salima Police spokesperson, Rebecca Ndiwate the deceased persons — identified as Rabson Manja and Mussa Gangalamu — were working as security officers at two different shops within the trading centre.

“The two reported for duty and it was during the following morning that the owner of one of the shops received information that his security officer was found lying dead at the shop,” she said, adding that he rushed to the scene where he also noted that the other security man at the neighbouring shop was also lying lifeless.

She said the shop had been broken into and cigarette bricks amounting to K1,465,250 and hard cash amounting to K3.7 million had been stolen.

She said preliminary investigations have established that both deceased persons were assaulted on the head using a rail metal bar which was later left at the scene and postmortem results from Salima District Hospital indicated that death was due to severe head injuries secondary to broken skulls.

Rabson Manja hailed from Namitete, Lilongwe, while Mussa Gangalamu hailed from Msangu Village Traditional Authority Ndindi, Salima.

Following increased incidents of crime across the country, Malawi Police Services continues to appeal to play a role in reducing criminal activities through community participation in safety and security issues.

Last week, Officer in-Charge for Mzuzu Police Station, Donnie Chiponda appealed to residents of Mzuzu City to play their role in solving some of problems that police when in curbing crime in the city.

Chiponda made the call during Mzuzu Police Station executive committee meeting which was organised by the police to share achievements registered in the first quarter of 2024 with the residents.

“We need community policing structures such as neighborhood watch forums especially during night to reduce criminal activities which  are rampart of late,” Chiponda said.

The committee’s chairperson, Manish Rampariya emphasised on the importance of networking and coordination between police and community members in curbing robbery and theft within the city and sub-urban areas.


“We have so far enhanced security and everything is going on well as we are trying to achieve more,” he said while chairperson for Association of Persons Living with Albinism in Malawi (APAM) for Mzimba North, Takondwa Nungu hailed Mzuzu Police for working tirelessly in ensuring their security and that of everyone else.

“They are working tirelessly to provide safety to people with albinism. The security is good as we have been provided with security alarms which we can trigger to alert people whenever we are attacked,” Nungu said.

On a positive note, numbers of criminal cases in Mzuzu City have within the quarter reduced from 412 to 392 as registered in the similar period last year and it was also reported that road traffic accidents have reduced to 51 from 86 as recorded last within the months of January to April last year.—Additional reporting by Tracy Mtegha & Blessings Preston Memena, MANA

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