Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi chapter has condemned the violent acts perpetrated on four journalists suspected to be blood suckers at Mwasota in the area of Paramount Chief Kyungu in Karonga district.

The four are, Dariud Gregory Barzagan a reporter for the BBC, Ahmed Hussein Divela and Prince Anus Asamoah both from Ghana as well as Henry Mhango a Malawian journalist working with Capital Radio Malawi .

According to Deputy Public Relations Officer for Karonga Police Station, Constable George Mulewa, the four entered Mwasota village on the night of February 16 to capture videos for a documentary on traditional magic and violence connected to it.

“The villagers were taken unawares on the reporter’s mission and they stoned the car which the reporters were using, leaving it damaged and a lot of working tools were stolen,” he said.

Vice Chairperson for MISA Malawi chapter Clifton Kawanga told YFM online that no person deserves to be harmed for rumors which have no basis and were cleared long time ago.

“It is unfortunate that journalists continue to be harassed in line of duty, as MISA we expect journalists to practice without any hindrance,” Kawanga said.

He has since appealed to government to sensitize the general public on the issue of blood suckers which keeps resurfacing.

“This is a myth which has been going on for a long time,we therefore would like to call on government to civic educate the masses on the issue of blood suckers in order to avoid these attacks in future.”

In 2017, nine people were killed and 250 were arrested after mob attacks on people suspected to be vampires.