Man arrested for arson in Dowa

MALAWI: A 25-year-old man has been arrested by Dowa police for allegedly torching a house, writes Dowa Police Public Relations Officer, Sub Inspector Gladson M'bumpha.

The suspect, identified as Nowa Chunga, is accused of committing the crime on Thursday night, April 21, 2022, at Lovimbi Village in Traditional Authority Chiwere in Dowa District.

It is reported that on that particular night, around 19:00 hours, the victim, Chinsinsi Sambani, was having lunch when the suspect, who appeared enraged, arrived. Chunga is also said to have gone straight to the victim's house and stood at the main door.

This prompted Sambani to inquire as to what the suspect was looking for at the house.

In response, the suspect told him that he wanted K3,000.00 that the victim's elder brother had borrowed from him in December of last year and that if he did not give him the money, he would set fire to the house to cancel the debit.

The victim attempted to reason with the suspect because his brother was in Mponela, but the suspect refused to listen and instead set fire to the house. Sambani was only able to save his two-month-old baby, who was sleeping in the house at the time.

Furthermore, the suspect threatened anyone who attempted to extinguish the fire, so that items such as a blanket, assorted clothes, a cellphone, two pairs of shoes, four plastic assorted kitchen utensils, two bags of maize each weighing 50 kilograms, and K30, 000.00 in cash were all burned to ashes, totalling K81, 7000.00.

The incident was reported to police, who arrived on the scene and confirmed the occurrence.

The suspect, who is from Lovimbi Village in Dowa District's Traditional Authority Chiwere, will appear in court soon to answer a charge of arson.