Mr. Binwell Chabwera, an 89-year-old man with six children hailing from Neno, Kasamba Village, under the jurisdiction of T/A Simon, recounted his ordeal. It was approximately 2 pm when his grandchildren arrived at his home with the distressing news that one of his grandsons had been hospitalized for a week. The young boy had suffered a severe eye injury while chopping wood, resulting in significant blood loss. This revelation came as a shock to Mr. Chabwera, as he typically accompanied his grandchildren on such wood-chopping trips.
Tragically, on August 26, 2023, Regrettably, on August 26, 2023, the grandchild passed away after spending about a week in the hospital. On the same day, relatives and neighbors gathered at Mr. Chabwera’s home and subjected him to a violent attack. Accusations of witchcraft were leveled against the elderly man by his grandchildren, the grandchildren accused the elderly man of practicing witchcraft, a claim supported by a boy who claimed to communicate with spirits. His hand bore evidence of the brutal beating, with visible swelling, and his clothes were torn from his body, while all his possessions within the house were set ablaze. Fortunately, he managed to escape the ferocious mob with the assistance of community police, who concealed him and subsequently transported him to the Zalewa Roadblock Police station on August 27, 2023. He has been residing at the station since then.
The Police Officer attempted to summon the relatives for a discussion on the matter and a way forward. Regrettably, none of them were willing to visit the station, as they were determined to prevent Mr. Chabwera from returning to the community. With the intervention of the Social Welfare Officer, contact was established with Mr. Chabwera’s relatives through Neno Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), with the aim of arranging for his relocation to his sister’s residence in Chileka. Mr. Chabwera’s sister, expressed a willingness to offer him shelter at her home until his case is resolved within the village. However, when the Social Welfare Officer reached out to his sister’s family on 12th September, they requested more time to discuss the situation with their family. It appears that none of Mr. Chabwera’s relatives are currently inclined to provide shelter for him.
In the interim, on September 13, 2023, Madam Mbambande transported Mr. Chabwera to Lilongwe, while he awaits a solution from Neno District Social Welfare to facilitate his return to his home village.
MANEPO has provided Mr. Chabwera with essential provisions, including a blanket, 10 kilograms of maize flour, three packets of sugar, one kilogram of salt, a tin of milk, three loaves of bread, five kilograms of beans, one flask, two plates, two cups, two t-shirts, and MK15,000 in cash. The attached pictures feature the victim, Mr. Chabwera, the Neno Social Welfare Officer, Mr. Sosono, a Police Officer, and staff members from MANEPO at the Zalewa Roadblock Police office.
