Police in Dedza have arrested three encroachers for throwing stones at Linthipe Secondary School after being told to vacate the school’s land.
Confirming the development was Dedza police deputy publicist, Cassim Manda who has identified the suspects as Judith Mathias, 48, Dorica Sitobila, 29, and Chikumbutso Peter Kachere aged 37, all from Kasambe village in the area of T/A Kaphuka in the district.
Manda said classes at Linthipe Secondary School were disrupted during the morning hours of November 7 after some villagers who had encroached the school premises were involved in a running battle with a school development committee.
The deputy publicist said there was a proposal that the villagers in question should leave the land they encroached in order to allow the school committee to build a girl’s hostel, school-blocks and teacher’s houses at the school.
“In what could be described as a twist of events, during the morning hours of November 7 the villagers mobilised themselves and started pelting stones at the school buildings.
“When Group village headman Mwakwinja tried to reason with them to stop stoning school buildings he was attacked by some people within the group who happened to be the ring leaders,” said Manda.
The incident saw heavily armed police officers deployed to restore peace.
However, Group village headman
Mwakwinja who is also a member of school development committee was stoned and taken to Diamphwi Health Centre where he was treated as an outpatient.
