A seven-year-old boy from Malunda Village in Traditional Authority Njema in Mulanje District has died at Phalombe District Hospital after his grandmother burned his both hands for allegedly eating fried fish (kanyenya), which the grandmother had bought.
Mulanje Police Officer-in-Charge Owen Maganga has confirmed the incident and identified the grandmother as Modester Biziweck, aged 76, was angry at the boy, an orphan, who she was staying with, and burned his hands.
Meanwhile, the OC says the grandmother is in the hands of the police and will be taken to court soon.
The Assistant Social Welfare Officer at the District Social Welfare Office in Mulanje has described the incident as worrying, saying such abuses are happening despite several awareness campaigns on positive parenting and child protection.
