COVID-19 measures shunned at Mtekama’s burial

The body of late Bob Mtekama, Malawi Police Service Criminal Investigations Department (CID) director was laid to rest on Wednesday at his home village in Nkhotakota without following COVID-19 measures as ordered by government.

Mtekama died on Monday at Adventist Hospital in Blantyre and according to National Police Spokesperson James Kadadzera, the deceased tested positive to COVID19.

As per tradition, burial ceremony was expected to be handled by health workers but this was not the case as no health worker accompanied Mtekama’s body.

As this was not enough, mourners did not observe social distance and at the same time the number of mourners was over the recommend figure of less than 100 people.

Mtekama joined the Malawi Police Service in 1992 and before his recent appointment as head of the CID, he served as Limbe Police Station officer-in-charge.

He studied criminal law at the University of Zanzibar and was the only Malawian police officer trained in forensic science by the University of Malawi’s College of Medicine. He was also trained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US.