Suspected Livestock Thief Burned to Death by Mob in Nsanje

A 50-year-old man suspected of livestock theft was brutally killed by an angry mob in Desha Village, Traditional Authority Mbenje, Nsanje District, on Tuesday evening.

Nsanje Police spokesperson Agnes Zalakoma confirmed the incident and identified the deceased as Damiano Kandiero of Theta Village, also in the same area.

According to police reports, Kandiero allegedly went to a grazing area where he found goats unattended. Unknown to him, a herdboy was watching from a tree and witnessed Kandiero slaughtering one of the goats. After Kandiero left the scene with the meat, the herdboy followed him and raised an alarm, drawing the attention of villagers.

The mob later apprehended Kandiero and, in an act of vigilante justice, set him on fire, resulting in his death at the scene.

Zalakoma stated that Kandiero was a known repeat offender in the area with a history of livestock theft. However, she strongly condemned the mob’s actions.

“While livestock theft is a serious crime, taking the law into one’s own hands is equally criminal. We are conducting investigations to identify and arrest those involved in this unlawful killing,” she said.

Police have urged community members to report crimes to law enforcement instead of resorting to violence.