Malawi police and civilians conflicts resurface on Monday at Bvumbwe Trading Centre in Thyolo where running battles between the two sides created tension as community members allegedly sought to avenge the shooting of two of their colleagues by a police officer.
The conflict was sparked by a brawl on Sunday night between two civilians and an unidentified police officer at a beer drinking joint. The police officer, who was allegedly beaten by the civilians, attempted to arrest one of them on Monday and resisting arrest the police officer shot him on his right-hand side of the chest.
The shooting victim’s colleague tried to approach the police officer but he too also got shot in the process.
After the second person got shot, people were infuriated even more as they blocked the Limbe-Thyolo-Mulanje-Muloza Road around Bvumbwe with stones and burning tyres until a reinforcement from Limbe Police Station moved in to quell the situation.
Limbe Police Station spokesperson Patrick Mussa confirmed that two civilians were shot at Bvumbwe, but they are “still investigating the matter.”
He said police are expected to release a full report on what happened.
Mussa, who said that no arrest had been made in connection with the incident, said police took the two civilians to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre.
He also said he was yet to get the identities of the shot civilians.