Gule Wamkulu beaten up in Mchinji

A Gule Wamkulu dancer suffered injuries after being beaten by an angry mob in Mchinji.

According to police, the dancer is currently battling for life at Mchinji District Hospital after he was unmasked and heavily assaulted by an angry mob at Sigeleta village.

Mchinji police officer in charge Maxmas Bakali told Malawi24 that the Gule Wamkulu dancer interrupted the installation ceremony of senior group village headman (SGVH) Magombo in the area of Traditional Authority Mduwa in the district.

“On September 3 2017 a group of people led by Traditional Authority Mduwa gathered at Sigeleta village to witness the installation ceremony of SGVH Magombo, a development which grieved SGVH Kasinthula who is currently serving a similar position for the same area,” said Bakali.

In the process of the installation ceremony, a group of eight Gule Wamkulu dancers called Akamano stormed the place with catapults and metal bars in their hands.

The dancers turned violent and started throwing stones spoiling the whole process.

Waloya Chikoti, 55, of Sigileta village sustained cuts on the head and was rushed to Kapiri Mission Hospital where he was admitted.

This fuelled violence at the ceremony which propelled the mob to turn against the Gule Wamkulu. The dancer who was seen injuring Waloya was also severely assaulted.

Following the incident, a group of people who felt aggrieved set ablaze two houses belonging to Traditional Authority Mduwa’s relations where various items were burnt down.

The dancer later told police that he was hired to disrupt the ceremony.

Meanwhile, the police are appealing to the general public to avoid resorting to violence as well as mob justice so as to give room for mediation process as a remedy for resolving these kind of issues.