MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-What was supposed to be a quiet Wednesday morning of prayer, October 21, 2026 in northern Malawi turned into a scene of dust, destruction, and chaos, as an angry mob flattened a local church and wiped out nearby building sites over an enduring land dispute.
Police in Karonga District have launched a manhunt for three key suspects and their accomplices after Winners Chapel located in Malema Village, Traditional Authority (T.A) Kyungu was reduced to rubble at around 6:00 a.m. on October 21.
The conflict traces back to 2015, when the church purchased a plot of land from local resident Emmanuel Wavisanga Silungwe and put up a temporary structure.
Shortly after, the neighboring Lulindo Primary School Committee challenged the sale, claiming the land belonged to the school.
Although a court ruled in favor of Winners Chapel in 2017, resentment continued to simmer in the community.
On Wednesday morning, that resentment boiled over.
According to Karonga Police spokesperson Inspector Rose Chipyola, a group of villagers from neighboring Mwahimba Village allegedly led by Solomoni Mwenelupembe, Sam Banda, and Steve Banda marched onto the disputed land and tore down the church building.
Not satisfied with knocking down the house of worship, the rampaging mob turned their attention to neighboring construction plots on the same land. They smashed up freshly laid concrete foundations belonging to two local residents, Taniel Mwakaye and Elisa Silungwe, before using shovels and soil to completely bury the dug-out trenches.
By the time the crowd dispersed, where a church and new home foundations once stood, only heaps of rubble and filled-in dirt remained.
While police are still calculating the exact financial loss, no arrests have yet been made.
Inspector Chipyola condemned the attack and warned communities against disregarding legal rulings.
“Members of the public are urged to respect court decisions and avoid taking the law into their own hands,” she said.
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