IG Luhanga speaking to Rumphi community members during the Community Policing Open Day
* If you want to live better lives, work hard; if you fall ill, go to the hospital and get treated
* Stop accusing others of such practices because if you do, the law will not spare you
By Manasse Nyirenda, Malawi News Agency (MANA)
Inspector General of Malawi Police Service, Richard Luhanga warn against witchcraft accusations and called on traditional leaders not to promote such beliefs by, among others, inviting witchdoctors to cleanse their villages of witchcraft.
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He said that on Tuesday Bolero Community Ground in Rumphi during the Community Policing Open Day — a safety and security awareness events being held in the North — graced by Minister of Homeland Security Peter Mukhito.
“Witchcraft does not exist,” emphasised Luhanga. “The belief in such practices is promoted by people who are lazy and envious of those who are doing better than them.
“If you want to live better lives, work hard. If you fall ill, go to the hospital and get treated — stop accusing others of such practices because if you do, the law will not spare you,” said IG Luhanga.
The elderly are the most-targeted members of the community who are accused of practising witchcraft.
Among Mukhito’s entourage was the host traditional leader, Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe, who pledged that he will continue working with the Police to deal with people who accuse others of practicing witchcraft to promote peace in the community.
Also present was Deputy Minister for Gender, Children, Disability & Social Welfare, Martha Ngwira, called on chiefs and community members to ensure that the elderly are treated with the dignity they deserve.
She also called on Malawians to ensure that children with disabilities enjoy equal rights with other children.
On his part, Mukhito — who was also accompanied by Deputy Homeland Security Minister, Norman Chisale, urged people across the country to stop mob justice and instead take suspected criminals to the police to promote law and order.
He appraised the gathering that mob justice hampers police investigations by preventing them from gathering evidence to establish the root of a problem.
“There are some instances where serious crimes are committed by gangs of criminals, for example, over 10 people,” he said. “When you kill one suspect, it means the police will have challenges to trace the others because the evidence might be buried with that suspect you’ve killed.
“Instead, take the suspect to the police for them to face the law,” said Mukhito, himself a decorated law enforcement officer, who served as the Inspector General of Malawi Police Service from 2004-2012.
He also called on people going through various challenges in life to seek counselling from the police, faith-based organisations, and others that provide such help and not take their lives.
He also assured security agencies in the country that the Government will release funds to complete stalled housing projects once the project audit currently underway is completed in order to provide them with decent accommodation.
When he was in Karonga District for the same Community Policing Open Day, Mukhito also assured that stalled construction of houses for security officers will resume following the completion of a government audit into the projects.
He made the assurance after inspecting construction of 15 police officers’ houses at Ipyana Police Mobile Service, saying the government suspended the projects to establish the status of payments to contractors after receiving information that some contractors had been paid in full while others had not received their dues.
“Most of the houses, I must apologetically say, have stalled for good reasons,” he said. “Government wants a full audit of the project.
“There was information that other contractors were paid in full while others weren’t,” said Mukhito, adding that the audit process has been completed and government is now ready to disburse funds to contractors so that construction can resume.
Mukhito thus warned officials and contractors against corruption and the misuse of public resources, saying every kwacha allocated to government projects must be accounted for and used for its intended purpose.
He stressed that development projects should deliver tangible benefits to Malawians and improve public service delivery.—Additional reporting by By George Mponda, MANA; editing by Duncan Mlanjira; Maravi Express
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