Malawian President Condemns “Mob Justice” Against Suspects

By Xinhua 

June 1, 2024

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera on Thursday condemned “mob justice” amid alarming rates of killings of people suspected of various crimes in the country before they are reported to law enforcers and brought to court for trial.

The Malawian leader voiced his concerns at a political rally held on the outskirts of Lilongwe, the country’s capital, ahead of elections scheduled for September 2025.

Chakwera said elderly people in the country suffer various atrocities, including being killed by angry community members on suspicion of practicing witchcraft or on suspicion of committing other crimes such as robbery.

The president ordered law enforcers, political parties, religious leaders, traditional leaders and all Malawians to guard against the practice in all parts of the country.

He also accused the country’s human rights organizations of remaining silent on the matter while hundreds of people suffer with no one to protect them.

Cases of “mob justice” in Malawi are common wherever and whenever people are suspected of committing a crime such as robbery, theft and witchcraft, even though the country’s laws do not recognize the existence of witchcraft.’

The Malawi Network of Older Persons’ Organization revealed in its 2023 report that 25 elderly persons were killed in the year on accusations of practicing witchcraft, slightly higher than in 2022 when 22 elderly persons were killed on similar accusations.