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One man was murdered on Tuesday in a free-for-all fracas between land encroachers and angry security guards at Eastern Produce’s Lauderdale Tea Estate in Mulanje district who reportedly went out to avenge an attack on their colleague’s house.
Police spokesman George Chikowi said the deceased has been identified as Lewis Thunga, 50, from Makaula Village in Traditional Authority Mabuka’s area in Mulanje district.
Chikowi said a report from Mulanje Police Station indicated that Thunga was among the land encroachers who attacked security officer Morgan Mkandawire’s house where they caused malicious damage.
“The security guards chased the villagers and the deceased’s body was found in a forest near offices of the estate,” he said, adding that the incident happened at around 7:30 AM.
Chikowi said the police are investigating the matter to establish the one who killed Thunga. He also warned the public against taking the law in their own hands, saying any differences should be referred to police or the courts.
Eastern Produce General Manager Illingworth, who admitted that encroachment is a very big problem in tea estates, said he had nothing to say and referred the issue to police.
In June 2001, Mulanje District Assembly reported that thousands of people encroached on tea estates’ land in the populous district claiming that the land belonged to their ancestors.
The office said the numbers of encroachers were very alarming because the people had encroached in a number of estates belonging to Eastern Produce and Lujeri tea estates.
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