Tag Archives: Malawi road accidents

Law and order

Two injured in Chitipa road accident

Burnett Munthali

CHITIPA-(MaraviPost)-Two people have been injured in a road accident that occurred at Kafola in Chitipa Ilomba road in Chitipa district.

Police spokesperson, Gladwel Simwaka, says the vehicle involved is a Fuso Fighter lorry driven by Davie Msukwa, 25, who is from Mbilima and was heading to Boma.

Simwaka says the lorry lost control due to excessive speed, causing it to overturn and fall off the road at Kafola.

Msukwa suffered severe neck injuries, while Rose Phiri, a passenger, sustained back injuries and is admitted to the district hospital.

Another couple received treatment at the hospital and were discharged.

The police are advising all road users to exercise caution, especially during this rainy season, as roads can be slippery.

The injured individuals are receiving medical attention, and their conditions are being monitored.

This incident serves as a reminder for drivers to reduce speed and exercise caution on the roads, as accidents often occur due to speeding.

The police will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.

The accident has raised concerns about road safety in the area, particularly during the rainy season.

Malawi

Malawi road accidents drop by 11% in first half of 2025

Shaffie A Mtambo

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi Police Service (MPS) has reported an 11 percent decline in road accidents during the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, a development hailed as a positive sign of improved road safety across the country.

According to a bi-annual comparative report released by the MPS, a total of 1,894 road accidents were registered between January and June 2025, down from 2,124 accidents recorded in the same period in 2024.

The police attribute this reduction to the effective enforcement of road traffic regulations and continued commitment by traffic officers across the country.

The MPS emphasized that the decline in road accidents reflects the success of its ongoing traffic management strategies, which include increased visibility of traffic police, intensified public awareness campaigns, and stricter penalties for violations.

Despite the overall decline, the report shows a mixed picture regarding accident severity. Fatal road accidents rose from 373 in 2024 to 411 in 2025 a 10 percent increase.

However, the number of people killed slightly decreased from 465 in 2024 to 464 in 2025, representing a 0.2 percent reduction in fatalities.

Serious road accidents also saw a slight drop. A total of 111 serious accidents were reported in 2025, down from 113 in 2024.

These incidents resulted in 201 people sustaining serious injuries, compared to 224 people who were seriously injured during the same period last year.

This reflects a 16 percent drop in serious accidents and a 10 percent drop in the number of seriously injured victims.

The report further reveals that the Central West Region recorded the highest number of road accidents during the six-month period, with 688 incidents, representing 36 percent of the total national figure.

The South West Region followed closely with 660 cases, accounting for 35 percent of all accidents.

District-level data shows Lilongwe topping the list with 325 accidents, from which 33 people lost their lives, making it the most affected district in terms of both accident frequency and fatalities.

In terms of vehicle involvement, saloon vehicles were the most commonly involved, accounting for 1,367 accidents 39 percent of the total.

Motorcycles followed, contributing to 14 percent of the total reported accidents.

Over-speeding remains the most common cause of road accidents in Malawi, responsible for 34 percent of all accidents recorded during the review period.

The report also reveals who is most affected by road accidents.

Pedestrians accounted for 40 percent of the total number of people killed in accidents, followed by passengers at 27 percent, and motorcyclists at 15 percent.

The MPS report further outlines a five-year trend of declining road accidents in the country.

In 2020, 10,801 accidents were recorded. That figure dropped to 9,416 in 2021, 5,553 in 2022, 4,977 in 2023, and 4,247 in 2024.

National Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Peter Kalaya, expressed satisfaction with the downward trend and reassured the public of continued efforts to enhance road safety.

“We are committed to reducing road accidents further. Our officers are working tirelessly, and we will continue to develop and enforce strategies that prioritize the safety of all road users,” said Kalaya.

Malawi, Obituaries

Malawi’s spate of road accidents rage on: Three killed in Zomba

Malawi News Agency (MANA)

By Emily M’mangisa

ZOMBA-(MANA)-Three people died on Wednesday along Zomba-Domasi Road at Naming’azi when the vehicle they were travelling got involved in a crash.

The accident occurred at Naming’azi, involving a Nissan Otti registration number BZ 3010 heading to Songani and a van registration number NN 11432 traveling to Zomba town.

Zomba Police Station Public Relations Officer, Patricia Sipiliyano confirmed the incident in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday.

“We can confirm about the accident and death. Others have sustained various injuries,” she said.

A spokesperson for Zomba Central Hospital, Fredson Kambeni collaborated with Sipiliyano, saying: “The driver died at the scene of the accident, while other passengers passed away while receiving treatment.”

The driver has been identified as Collins Potani, but further details about the other passengers involved and the cause of the accident are still being investigated.

Development, Law and order

Malawi road accidents, crimes on rise

Grace Dzuwa
Malawi road accidents, crimes

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi Police Service (MPS) has reported an increase in both crime and road traffic accidents from January to November this year.

Compared to the same period last year, crime has increased by 4.8 percent while road accidents recorded a 105.5 percent increase, according to information police provided during their end-of-year parties.

Acting Inspector General (IG) Duncan Mwapasa said the statistics indicate a mixed picture of successes and challenges encountered by the service.

The statistics show that from January 1 to November 30 2019, 37 919 crime cases were reported compared to 36 193 cases reported during the same period last year.

In terms of road accidents, 9 326 were recorded, up from 4 539 cases in 2018. However, the number of fatal road accidents slightly dropped from 996 to 975, representing 2.1 percent, with the number of people killed in road accidents reducing from 1 163 to 1 141 cases or 1.9 percent.

The statistics show that rising reported cases of crime include those of murder, robbery, rape, defilement, theft of motor vehicles and general theft as well as break-ins.

On cases of murder, 597 were reported, up from 475 representing 25.7 percent rise while robbery cases increased from 1 570 to 1 591, representing 1.3 percent.

During the same period, break-in cases have increased to 8 172 from 7 693 cases, representing a 6.2 percent increase. Rape cases have also increased by 11.9 percent, from 177 to 198 while cases of defilement have also increased from 1 426 to 1 618, representing 13.5 percent rise.

Theft of motor vehicles increased from 52 to 63, representing a 21.2 percent rise while on the other hand general theft slightly increased from 8 043 to 8 064 cases, representing a 0.3 percent increase.

In his remarks, Mwapasa said the police will strive to ensure that Malawians are more protected in the New Year 2020 through enhanced security measures.

“It is sad that while the service continues to increase its visibility in the streets, criminals are targeting locations where in some instances, innocent family members have been raped” he said.

He also said that they assure all Malawians that during 2020, the service will be more vigilant in ensuring that Malawians feel safe whilst in their homes.”

Mwapasa also bemoaned the high number of road accidents as worrisome, saying most of the accidents could have been avoided if drivers were mindful of their own safety and that of other road users.

In an interview on Friday during an end-of-year party, Commissioner of Police for the Southern Region, Sladge Yousuf, said the region has reported an increase of 2.5 percent in crime cases, from 10 709 to 10 966 while on road accidents, there was a 6.7 percent increase from 3 305 to 3 767 cases.

“Despite the statistics, we are still doing well as a region and we will continue to exert pressure to ensure crime and criminals are kept at bay”,he said

Northern Region commissioner of Police Hannings Moltha on Friday said they recorded 4 954 cases against 4 471, representing a 9.7 increase last year while in terms of road accidents there was a 61 percent increase from 308 to 496 cases.

In recent times, the police have come under fire for failing to maintain public order owing to loss of public trust in the service, especially during demonstrations in the aftermath of the May 21 Tripartite Elections. In contrast, Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers stepped in to maintain peace in such situations.