Mob justice worries youths

Youth advocates in Malawi have expressed worry over the increase of incidences of mob justice in the country.

This follows recent reports that angry people in Phalombe district set ablaze a woman who was alleged to have murdered a man as well as reports of the brutal killing of a fisherman in Nkhotakota who was suspected to have been thief.

Youth Initiative for Community Development (YICOD) has described the incidences as uncalled for and asked people to desist from the conduct.

YICOD executive director, Andrew Bwanali, told Malawi24 in an interview that people are doing this because they have lost trust in law enforcers. “It seems as if many people are losing trust in law enforcers.

People are taking the law into their hands because of few bad apples in the Malawi Police Service that are damaging the image of the police due to the growing incidences of reported cases of bribery or corruption,” he said.

Bwanali then recommended a massive sensitisation campaign on the negative consequences of mob justice saying it can help contain the situation in the country. He also advised law practitioners to resolve cases fairly in order for the public to have trust in them. He said:

“Unresolved cases are leading to mob justice hence the courts should also be careful when giving out bail to some suspects.

“Law enforcers should arrest the perpetrators and give them stiff punishments so that other people should not repeat these increasing mob justices.”