The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire, Right Reverend Joseph William Mchombo, has urged members of the community to stop vandalising properties belonging to public institutions such as schools and hospitals.
Speaking during an interview at his office in Malosa, Zomba, Bishop Mchombo expressed deep concern over the increasing cases of vandalism affecting institutions that serve the community.
He said damaging or stealing institutional property is a serious setback to development and negatively affects the very people the facilities are meant to help.
“We should avoid mismanaging institutional properties, which is what we call vandalism. Taking hospital beddings is vandalism. Breaking school window glasses and stealing materials like water pipes is bad behaviour,” said Mchombo.
The Bishop emphasized that schools and hospitals play a vital role in community development, and any damage to their infrastructure disrupts essential services such as education and healthcare.
On behalf of the heads of institutions, David Winas Boma also expressed concern over the malpractice. He described it as unfortunate that some members of the surrounding communities are vandalizing facilities that are meant to benefit them.
“We are concerned with what some people in the surrounding community are doing taking hospital beddings, stealing water pipes, and sometimes breaking school infrastructure that is meant to help them in their everyday lives,” said Boma. “
Both Bishop Mchombo and institutional leaders have called on community members to take responsibility for safeguarding public properties. They stressed that development can only be achieved when people protect and value the facilities built to serve them, rather than destroying them.
By Tiwamyenji Boma
