SALIMA-(MaraviPost)  The Malawi Police Service in the lakeshore district of Salima are hunting unknown thugs for gruesomely killing a 84-year old grandmother over MK113, 000 savings from village banking.

Salima Police Spokesperson Gift Chitowe has identified the deceased granny as Loveness Chihana who met the fate on December 20, this year at Saidi village in the district.

The police publicist Chitowe told The Maravi Post that the late Chihana was attacked by unidentified people who also stole from her money amounting to MK113, 000 she had earned from her village bank savings.

The incident has however instilled fears among the residents in the district as memories are still fresh on recent murder of the Criminal Investigation Officer Rhoda Ngoma for Chipoka police unit and renowned evangelist Shadreck Wame who were brutally killed in their houses in July and October this year respectively.

Consequently, The National Advocacy Platform (NAP) has condemned the brutal murder of the granny arguing that the incident has brought fear among poor citizens who rely on village savings for their survival not only in the Traditional Authority (T.A) Ndindi in Salima but across the country.

In a statement released and signed by NAP Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba and made available to The Maravi Post, the grouping has expressed sadness over the incident describing it as disturbing the time the country was in the festive season.

The grouping has questioned the authority’s stance on poor people’s safety from thugs saying the development was detrimental to social-economic growth of the country.

Mkwezalamba observed that the criminals robbing the old woman’s savings she realised from her village banking (Bank Mkhonde) poses a big threat to the right to economic activities and has the potential to discourage similar initiatives in areas with security lapse.

He has therefore called on the police to step up security efforts across the country so that those planning criminal attacks on hard-working and innocent citizens are arrested.

“This is why we call upon the Malawi Police Service to swiftly investigate and apprehend the criminals so that they face the long arm of the law. This is based on our belief that every citizen has a right to security and justice regardless of their status in society as stipulated in the Republican Constitution.

“With the mushrooming of village savings and banks, there is need to devise security measures for such community initiatives and that police is hereby called to intervene accordingly”, said Mkwezalamba.

The organization has urged the general public to support the police by helping in investigations as well as reporting any suspicions they detect in the communities.

“We also wish to remind every citizen to provide support to the elderly. It is disheartening that Gogo Chihana was alone at the time of the attack, a thing that might have encouraged the criminals to attack our dear granny.

“We also advise communities to take extra cautions in ensuring that transactions in the Village savings and loans are safe and secure”, concludes NAP statement.