Businesspeople in Mzuzu City have expressed concern over lack of security in the city following two break-ins on Monday night when robbers went away with over K5 million cash.
According to reports, thieves have broken into several shops over the past two weeks. These shops are Gabriel Steel and Hardware, Aero Plastics, Phone Wood, Gumede, KGN Supermarket and tecno mobiles shop.
One of the businessmen who did not want to be mentioned said this is the first time to happen in the city.
“We are afraid that we will wake up one morning to find our shops robbed. This is the first time for this to happen, the previous Government tried to be better on security especially here in town, just imagine what happened in Karonga where two Chinese and one Malawian lost their life, it is so sad.
“We are asking Tonse Government to tighten the security, we are paying huge tax to Government, why are they failing to return to us by protecting our properties,” he said.
In an interview, Denis Kamanga who is Mzuzu Branch Manager for Techno Shop, which was also not spared from the Monday night raid, said he only discovered on Tuesday morning that cash amounting to K2.5 million and all high valued phones had been stolen in the shop.
“It was on Tuesday morning when we discovered that our shop has been broken into, cash amounting to K2.5 million and all those expensive phones have been stolen, it should be around 2 o’clock in the morning when that happened,” Kamanga said.
Gabriel shop belonging to a Malawian of Asian origin was also broken into on the same night but through the roof and cash amounting to K2.7 million was also taken away.
In his comment, Mzuzu Police Public Relations Officer Paul Tembo said they are aware about the rise in crime and the number of Police especially during the night.
“Yes that’s true and investigations are at an advanced stage to bring to book the suspects, in fact some properties have already been recovered and some suspects apprehended for questioning.
“We have also increased Police visibility including at night,” said Tembo.
The Police, however, expressed dismay with some shop owners who are failing to employ watchmen to guard their premises saying thieves are taking advantage of the situation.
Mzuzu City stakeholders are expected to hold a meeting on security which is expected to be attended by some officials from the Home Affairs and Internal Security ministry.
