Boy,13 murdered in Mbayani

A 13 year-old boy has been brutally killed in Mbayani Township in the city of Blantyre.

The boy was found dead in a shelter at Majiga in Mbayani on Wednesday morning with deep cuts on his head and face.

Blantyre police deputy public relations officer Andrew Mayawo identified the boy as Chatiki Khome.

The young boy’s mother Mary Khome aged 39, told police that she left the boy together with her other child in the shelter to wait for their father who had gone to buy bananas which he sells.

“The boy was found in the morning in the same shelter with blood all over and with deep cuts below his chin, on the forehead and on the side head,” Mayawo said.

The body was then taken by Kabula Police to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) where a report indicated he died due to severe brain damage.

Malawi24 visited the scene in the early morning of Wednesday after hearing of the incident and saw a pair of shoes and a metal bar at the place and also blood flow just 15 metres from the shade where the boy lied.

The police spokesperson said so far no arrest in connection to the murder has been made as investigations are still underway to arrest the culprits.

Khome hailed from Masauko village in the area of Traditional Authority Mlumbe of Zomba district.

In another development, Police in Machinga district on Wednesday arrested a 62 year-old man for abducting a seven year-old boy.

Police in the district have identified the suspect as Mailosi Matuta.

Speaking with this publication, Machinga police spokesperson Davie Sulumba said on 21 June this year at around 5pm the boy was playing outside the house but a few minutes later his sister heard no response when she called him several times.

According to Sulumba, the boy’s relatives started searching for him but to no avail, a development which made them inform members of community policing who loitered around in search for the boy.

“While searching in the house of the suspect it happened that one room was locked and they ordered him to open it, after opening it they found the victim under a simple granary,” said Sulumba.

The boy said the man wrapped him with a cloth and dragged him into the room where he stayed for one night.

Matuta is in custody and will answer charges of abduction which is contrary to section 261 of the penal code. He comes from Diniyo village in the area of Traditional Authority Ngokwe in Machinga district.