Police at Mponela in Dowa have arrested 22 people for looting shops and offices during demonstrations by learners at Mponela Trading Centre.
The pupils conducted the demonstrations on Wednesday demanding the government to pay teachers their December salaries.
According to Dowa police publicist Kondwani Kandiado, some adults who joined the pupils’ protests stormed Admarc offices, Chipiku and Bata shops where they went away with property worth millions of kwachas.
On Wednesday night, police officers managed to arrest 22 suspects in connection with the looting.
“The Police also managed to recover some of the stolen property which include bales of sugar, mattresses, soap and packs of beer,” Said Kandiado.
Meanwhile, Police have intensified investigations into the matter and they hope to recover more stolen items.
The suspects will appear before court soon to answer charges related to breaking into a building and committing offences.
Teachers across Malawi have been on strike since Wednesday to demand their December salaries. Government did not pay some of the teachers because it removed them from the payroll for not submitting identity cards to the Ministry of Education.
