By Lesnat Kenan

Lilongwe June 10, mana: Police at Jenda in Mzimba, have arrested two young men on suspicion of being connected to the deaths of three individuals, Matrida Kalua, Linda Gondwe and Felix Makatanje, who were killed between May 17-21 2025, along the Malawi-Zambia border.

The suspects have been identified as Simon Ndawandawa aged 23, and Chisomo Ndawandawa aged 20.

According to Jenda Police Station Public Relations Officer, Sub Inspector Macfarlen Mseteka, the arrest that was made on June 5, 2025, at Kapopo along the Malawi-Zambia border, follows intensive and intelligence-driven investigations initiated by Jenda Police after relatives reported missing persons.

"It has been established that the two suspects, along with a Zambian national (the third suspect) who is at large, were targeting farm produce buyers by deceiving them into believing they were selling maize and soya beans;” explained the police spokesperson.

“Once these buyers were taken to quiet places, they were attacked with an axe and their money were stolen,” he added.

Mseteka further said the arrest of the suspects led to the revelations that there was a third dead body of Felix Makatanje, who was killed by the same suspects on May 17,2025, and the suspects led the police to the forest on the Zambian side where they partially buried the victim.

"The suspects admitted to have killed Felix Makatanje after robbing him of K500,000 and his phone, before murdering the two women and steal K1.6 million from them,” explained Mseteka.

He said Jenda Police will continue the investigations to determine whether the suspects committed any other murders of a similar nature.

He said the first suspect, Simon Ndawandawa, is also on court bail for the suspected murder of his grandfather in 2024.

Meanwhile, Jenda Police Station, in collaboration with the community, is committed to holding all offenders accountable to their deeds to reduce the fear of crime, and provide security to people conducting their businesses.

The two suspects will appear before the court soon to answer charges of murder, a criminal offence contrary to section 209 of the Penal Code.

Both suspects hail from Mkondowanjovu Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) M’mbelwa, in Mzimba district.