Police in Chiradzulu have arrested 17 security guards from CFK Security Company for vandalising Southern Region Water Board’s improvised water intake and emptying the recipient tanks in protest that they did not receive their salaries for two months.
This is according to Chiradzulu police public relations officer Constable Cosmas Kagulo who identified the suspects’ kingpin as Simon Kaposa who along with 16 others were providing security at Southern Region Water Board structures in Chiradzulu district.
Constable Kagulo reported that during the night of August 14 to 15, 2023, the suspects emptied the recipient tanks and vandalized the water intake structure which was improvised after the main intake got washed away by Cyclone Freddy.
It has been established that Southern Region Water Board offered a contract to CFK Security Company to be providing security to the office, tanks and under-construction water intake points in the district.
The guards are alleging that they did not receive their monthly salaries for June and July, and on Friday August 11, 2023, they petitioned the water board expressing their anger and threatening to deal with any officer who will report for duties at the water board offices.
It is reported that, instead of waiting for the response from Southern Region Water Board headquarters in Zomba, the suspects resorted to damaging the water intake and removing the drain plug for the two tanks which resulted in no piped water supply to residents and offices around Chiradzulu Boma for two days.
The matter was later reported to Chiradzulu Police Station who arrested all the 17 Security guards and they are expected to appear before court soon to answer charges of malicious damage.
Simon Kaposa aged 47, hails from Ching’amba village in the area of Traditional Authority Onga in Chiradzulu district.
