MAN FOUND SHOT DEAD IN VWAZA GAME RESERVE

A man who was in the company of two others that were reportedly shot by Game rangers inside Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve in Rumphi has been found dead with gun shot wounds in the stomach.

Rumphi Police could not confirm or deny the reports but said they arrested a third man who had secretly visited Rumphi Hospital to be treated to a gunshot wound on the thigh.

One of the villagers of Kaseka Village in Traditional Authority Mpherembe in the area told ZBS that they forced their way into the protected area to retrieve the dead body of their relative after they were refused entry by the game reserve authority.

Rumphi Police Public Relations Officer Victor Khamisi said in an interview that according to a Report from the game reserve officials, on a friday night they discovered that the protected area had been invaded by poachers who were wearing headlamps which they were using to spot in the game reserve.

“When the poachers discovered that they have been spotted they exchanging gun fire with the game rangers,” he said.

The police said they are keeping in their custody two muzzle loaders suspected to have been used by the poachers.

Last Saturday, people rescued two people from the game reserve who were badly injured and took them to Thunduwike Health Centre before the police arrested the third person with a gunshot wound on a thigh on Sunday at Rumphi District Hospital when he was trying to get treatment.

People of Kaseka Village in Traditional Authority Mpherembe, ZBS talked to said after discovering that several people have been shot they realized that one man Mr. Tito Mkandawire young brother to one of the shot persons from the same village was missing.

“We tried to plead with authorities of Game Reserve to allow us search for the missing person but we were refused and this prompted us to force our way into the protected area on Monday where we have discovered the body of Mkandawire,” said one of the villagers.