Sometime back we asked a question that our esteemed Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service is yet to answer. Our leader of delegation, Abiti Genuine Prof. Dr. Joyce Befu, MG 66, MEGA-1, and NPC-I, has commanded us, Al Hajj Mufti Jean-LePossoin, SC (RTD), and me, the Mohashoi, to remind the IG that when we ask questions, the people of Malawi expect an answer. Like all genuine journalists, we ask on behalf of the people.

We will repeat the question expecting an answer this time.

In case you have forgotten, we will remind you. Last time we were driving from the Republic of Karonga, we saw a group of local people mourning and wailing right on the Mlowi River Bridge in Tongaland South. We saw a partially shrouded lifeless body of a man on the bridge.

“What has happened here?” Abiti had asked, wiping tears, as she had mournfully walked towards the mourners.

“That man has been killed?” one male voice had responded.

“Killed by a car?”

“Quite unlikely because there is no sign the man has been killed here. There is no blood around. We suspect, he has been murdered in the night and just dropped here to give the impression that he has been killed by a hit-and-run driver.”

“So, have you reported the matter to police?”

“Police? There is no police here. The nearest police station is at Chinthechi, about 45 kilometres to the north or at Nkhunga in Dwangwa, about 50 kilometres to the south of here”

“Why did you not call the police to come?”

“We don’t have their numbers!”

“Ok. We will proceed with our trip. Whenever and wherever we meet a police officer we will report the matter.”

We had left and driven all the way to Dwangwa without meeting any police officer. We had decided to go to Nkhunga Police Station. There we had found no one, except for a few flies.

So, we had continued with our trip. By 8.30am, we had reached Ndikaphanditenga in Salima.

We had driven up to Lilongwe through Mvera, about 90 kilometres. Unlike the 90 kilometres between Chinthechi and Dwangwa, on these 90 kilometres we had been professionally greeted by over five teams of police officers.

Now, we repeat the question: Why are rural areas underserved by the Malawi Police Service? Why are urban areas overserved by the same Malawi Police Service?

Abiti Befu has also asked us to ask you if you know that Malawian underage kids, as children are called in Obamaland, are heavily engaged in online gambling and betting.

Because most of them don’t have money, they are rummaging through their parents’ bedrooms searching for and stealing money from handbags to satisfy their gambling habits.

Next time you hear children speaking in hushed voices about kukwela chindege (boarding the plane), you should know they are talking about that online game youngsters are currently obsessed with.

In Kamuzu’s Malawi, gambling of any form was banned: commercial card gaming (njuga), bead games (chiwali), and other forms of betting were banned to protect children from engaging in addictive games that would land them into financial trouble and draw them away from school.

We are not suggesting that gambling should be banned, but is it regulated enough to protect underage children and vulnerable youngsters?

What is the Malawi Police Service doing about this chindege, the new online gambling phenomenon that is turning children into thieves and affecting their school homework?n

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