By Lovemore Khomo
Police in Balaka District have arrested two suspects in connection to murder and robbery.
According Balaka Police Public Relations Officer Gladson M’bumpha, the incidents happened during the night of January 10, 2024 at Soma Village where two grannies were killed and their property robbed.
M’bumpha has identified the suspects as Precious Salamba aged 21 and Inock Tonto Wonderford aged 20, who allegedly killed Gerald Mmanjamwada aged 80 and his wife, Ireen Nankhanga aged 75, and stole their property.
“During the particular night the suspects broke into the deceased’s house and robbed them of a bicycle, a TV screen, one bag of Urea fertilizer, 15 iron sheets, 9 goats, all clothes belonging to both M’manjamwada and his wife.” explained M’bumpha.
He reports that after taking the items, the suspects assaulted to death both Mmanjamwada and his wife before locking the house doors as they left the place.
“The matter was reported to Balaka Police Station on January 12, 2024 and in response to the incident, detectives visited the scene accompanied by a medical officer from Balaka District Hospital where they found Mmanjamwada lying dead in his bedroom while his wife was found dead at the chair on the sitting room, both with deep cut wounds on their heads, neck and chest.”
Postmortem conducted revealed that the cause of death was severe loss of blood due to deep cut wounds.
Thereafter, police detectives from Balaka Police Station conducted investigations leading to the arrest of the two suspects and recovery of some of the items such as 15 iron sheets, solar pannel, assorted clothes, one radio, a bicycle, 2 plasma TV screens, one set of home theatre, one mattress, two blankets, bed covers, bed sheets and five pairs of suits.
Both Salamba and Wonderford hail from Soma Village in Traditional Authority Nkaya in Balaka District and will appear before court soon to answer murder charges.
Late Mmanjamwada came from Chinkhande Village in Traditional Authority Kunthembwe in Blantyre while Nankhanga came from Kapani Village in Traditional Authority Lundu in Chikwawa District.
