Malawians defend Joseph Fake

Malawians have defended the man who drove off in a minibus while the vehicle’s driver and conductor were looking for more passengers.

Fake has been charged with theft of motor vehicle for driving the minibus.

According to Dedza police public relations officer Cassim Manda, Fake boarded a minibus in Lilongwe going to Tsangano in Ntcheu and upon reaching Linthipe 1, the passengers were handed over to another minibus registration number DZ 8178 driven by Austin Kalulu.

The driver and his conductor left the minibus with keys on ignition and started looking for passengers a development which angered most passengers.

After seeing that the driver was taking too long to start off, Fake pressed the horn to call the driver to start the engine but the driver was responding negatively by telling him that he could not go on with a few passengers.

Fake who felt being delayed for his businesses in Tsangano, decided to drive off with 7 passengers on board, leaving the driver and his conductor behind.

On the way, Fake was dropping passengers upon reaching their destinations. Upon arrival at Kalinyeke, Fake stopped to drop another passenger and as he was about to start off, another minibus blocked his way from which Kalulu and his conductor alighted.

They took Fake to Dedza police where he was placed in custody for theft of a motor vehicle.

Malawians have since defended the passenger saying he should be released.

“Release him, he is innocent, what if he missed his appointment, would the minibus driver be arrested for the delay?, A lesson to all minibus drivers and their conductors,” said one person commenting on Facebook.

“May you please release this guy and arrest the minibus driver for wasting this passenger’s time, he has done us proud,” said Facebook user Alaine Michaels.

While Aaron Nyasulu said: “I don’t see any crime here actually the driver did a very good job the minibus drivers must know that time is money this habit is not knew to our minibus operators I demand the immediate release of the suspect nothing wrong here.”