Police in Nsanje have saved a 28-year-old man from an angry mob after he allegedly stabbed an innocent bystander during a frantic escape from a confrontation.
Nsanje Police Public Relations Officer Constable Jabulani Ng’oma said the incident happened on September 6, 2026, around 6:30pm at Chambuluka Trading Centre.
The suspect, Samson Jonifala, 28, of Juda Village under Traditional Authority Mlolo, allegedly got into a confrontation with a man identified only as Tembo before fleeing when Tembo chased him.
Police allege that Jonifala then encountered Innocent Aaron, 20, who was standing beside the road.
Believing Aaron was part of the group pursuing him, Jonifala allegedly drew a knife and stabbed him in the lower abdomen.
Aaron, from Weluza Village under Traditional Authority Changata in Thyolo District, sustained serious injuries and was taken for treatment after the matter was reported to Fatima Police Unit.
Officers who rushed to the area later found Jonifala surrounded by a mob that was allegedly beating him and attempting to kill him.
The police intervened and took him into custody, but the crowd reportedly turned on the officers and threw stones at their vehicle, smashing its front windscreen.
Jonifala remains in police custody and is expected to be charged with acts intended to cause grievous harm.
Aaron is currently receiving treatment at Trinity Hospital and is awaiting referral to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital for further medical attention.
Police have since urged members of the public to resist mob justice and surrender suspected offenders to law enforcement agencies.
Ng’oma warned that people who take the law into their own hands can also face criminal charges, while mob violence can result in serious injuries or loss of life.
