Africa-Press – Malawi. Angry villagers at Lirangwe in Blantyre overpowered Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers and blocked the M1 road after the soldiers seized charcoal from traders.
Zodiak reported that the incident happened this morning at Lirangwe. As part of the government’s strategy to choke charcoal trade and save forests, soldiers confiscated bags of charcoal from traders at Lirangwe.
Angry villagers protested of the issue. According to Zodiak, the villagers overpowered the soldiers and blocked the M1 road from Blantyre to Zalewa. After blocking the road, the villagers demanded money from road users who wanted to pass through. Some vehicles were also damaged by the angry villagers.
Police from Chileka Police Station were called in to control the situation. “Our friends from MDF then just left the area and that is when the communities came to our office and again started pelting stones,” said Chileka police spokesperson Jona Philipo.
