A 34-year-old Baba Chimalizeni has been found dead in Mvumbi village, Dowa district on September 13, 2023, circumstances surrounding his demise have raised questions about the safety and security of the region.
According to Dowa Polic Public Relations Officer Alice Sitima, the incident unfolded when Group Village Headman Mvumbi was away attending a funeral ceremony in Muononga village.
During his absence, he received a distressing report around 14:00 hours that Chimalizeni had been abandoned by unknown individuals who claimed they were taking him to the police.
“Whilst there, he received a report at around 14:00 hours that, Chimalizeni was abandoned by unknown people who claimed were taking him to Police, after being caught breaking into a house of Tumani Kawale of Kalozela village. It is believed that Chimalizeni was mercilessly beaten by an angry mob and abandoned at Mvumbi bridge.
“It is believed that an enraged mob took matters into their own hands, subjecting Chimalizeni to a merciless beating before abandoning him at Mvumbi bridge,” said Sitima.
According to Sitima, GVH Mvumbi found Chimalizeni lying dead around 17:00hrs, and the matter was later reported to Police.
Sitima added that postmortem results have shown that Chimalizeni died of severe head injuries.
“When the chief came at around 17:00, he found Chimalizeni lying dead. Later, he reported the matter to Matowe Police Unit who visited the scene accompanied by a medical officer. Postmortem results established that the death was due to severe head injuries,” added Sitima.
In response to the tragedy, the Dowa Police have meanwhile launched a manhunt to apprehend the assailants responsible for Chimalizeni’s murder.
Sergeant Sitima has urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward, stating, “We are committed to bringing those responsible to justice, and we urge anyone with knowledge of the incident to contact us immediately.”
Baba Chimalizeni hailed from Chigawa village in the area of Traditional Authority Mkukula in Dowa.
