Traditional Authority (TA) Katunga of Chikwawa has been arrested alongside one of his subjects in connection with the bloodsucking allegations which led to the damage of Kasinthula Lodge in the district.
Chikwawa Police Station Public Relations Officer, Constable Foster Benjamin said Chief Katunga whose real name is Stephano Katunga, 49, was arrested on Wednesday alongside Chalamanda Gilibati, 39, bringing to four the number of suspects in the Kasinthula Lodge bloodsucking saga.
“The traditional leader has since been released on bail pending a court appearance within the week,” he said, adding that the chief has been charged with inciting violence.
“As police in the district we are still warning the public against spreading false rumours with regard to the issue of bloodsucking since there is no evidence to show that anybody has had his or her blood sucked,” Benjamin added.
Kasinthula Lodge located along the M1 Nsanje – Blantyre road around Kasinthula was ransacked on Saturday evening when a misinformed group of villagers living in surrounding areas went on rampage breaking windows and damaging walls claiming it was harbouring bloodsuckers.
The police publicist added that in the ensuing hullabaloo, the facility’s guard was severely assaulted including the lodge’s manager, Sparrow Losi Namizinga.
He told Maravi Post that their place being a hospitality facility required people to thrive as such there was no way the same people the lodge needed to do business with could be harmed by housing ‘blood suckers.’
Namizinga attributed the incident to some ill minded people who fabricate stories against the lodge, saying they were enemies of development.
The other two arrested earlier, include Kasisi Katunga, 32, and Chikafa Kachingwe, 63, both from Salumeji Village in the area of TA Katunga in Chikwawa.
