By Joseph Mbughi
Police in Chitipa have arrested village headman Solomon and two others for accusing a fellow villager of being behind a whirlwind that destroyed buildings in their village.
Chitipa police station deputy public relations officer sub-inspector Hope Nyalinyali said the whirlwind destroyed a church, a nursery school and a house in Solomon’s village on 19 November this year and the village headman invited the villagers to a meeting.
According to Nyalinyali, in the course of the discussion, two of the chief’s advisers, Abishanga Mbisa and Miziwell Chisunkha, charged Mr. Ephraim Sinkhala of witchcraft and alleged that Sinkhala was the one who sent the whirlwind.
The village headman took Ephraim Sinkhala to a witchfinder in Mbeya, Tanzania where the witchfinder also alleged that Sinkhala was the one behind the whirlwind.
“Upon arrival in Malawi, Sinkhala reported the issue to Chitipa Police Station and after receipt of the report, Police went to Solomon village where Solomon and the advisers were arrested,” Nyalinyali said.
He added that the three have so far been charged with the offence of permitting prohibited trial by ordeal contrary to section 7 of the witchcraft act and charging a person with witchcraft contrary to section 7 of the witchcraft act, Chapter 7:02 of the laws of Malawi.
Nyalinyali said the three suspects will appear before court soon. Abisalom Kapenda, 36 yrs, Abishanga Mbisa, 43, and Miziwell Chisunkha, 60, hail from Solomon village in Traditional Authority Mwaulambia in Chitipa district.
