Maravi

(TIMES) Malawian cops torch 20 houses in Chief Chanje

COMMENT - This smells of police corruption. Border demarcation is one thing, but burning people's houses down is something else.

Malawian cops torch 20 houses in Chief Chanje
By Times Reporter

UNIFORMED Malawian police officers have set ablaze 20 houses belonging to Zambians living on the Zambia-Malawi boundary in Chief Chanje’s area in Chipata District. The armed officers from Kasungu National Park set the houses on fire last week and accused the Zambians of encroaching on Malawian land.

Chief Chanje of the Chewa speaking people confirmed the development in an interview in Chipata yesterday. He said the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit team under the office of the vice-president had sent some foodstuff and erected tents for the victims.

The traditional leader said a combined team of officers from the Zambia Army, Zambia National Service and Zambia Police Service that rushed to the scene impounded two Malawian Government vehicles that were used in raiding the Zambian villagers.

Some of the areas that were torched included Kaleza farm bloc and parts of Kamukomole forest in Chief Chanje’s area.

Zambia and Malawi share an 800-kilometre common border in Eastern Province but only 200 kilometres have been marked by way of putting beacons.

The two countries’ governments early this year started putting beacons on the remaining 600-kilometre stretch.

“Some armed Malawian police officers from Kasungu National Park set ablaze 20 houses belonging to my subjects who were accused of encroaching on their land. The Malawian police officers have been doing this operation for the past two weeks now,” he said.

He explained that after some new beacons were installed, some of his subjects were found on the Malawian soil while some Malawians were found on Zambia land.

He said the villagers were told not to panic because the relocation would be done gradually with the involvement of leaders from the two countries.

He called for the immediate arrest of the officers involved in what he described as an illegal operation in which his subjects lost a number of assets.

“These Malawian police officers should be arrested and charged with arson for their illegal operation on a foreign land,” he said.

Zambia and Malawi in 2003 signed a joint communiqué at Katuta Lodge in Chipata where they reaffirmed their commitment to completing the demarcation of the common border between the two countries.

The officials from the two countries also agreed that the people living along the border should continue living in harmony as the two countries looked for funds to put new markers in areas where some beacons had been uprooted.

Labels: BORDERS, CHIEF CHANJE, MALAWI, POLICE CORRUPTION

posted by MrK @ 3:48 AM