Government has asked the Malawi Police Service to institute an inquiry aiming at investigating circumstances that led to the death of hip-hop artist Martin Nkhata well known as Martse.

Delivering his eulogy on behalf of President Lazarus Chakwera at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe, Minister of Youth and Sports Richard Chimwendo Banda said government is failing to understand events that led the cause of the death of the artist.

He said: “This is something which is traumatising, we are not trying to point out fingers to anyone but at least we should have a story which must be told because we are told he was not alone.

So the people that were there they can work with the police and help the country to know the truth so that as we mourn Martse we should know what has taken the life of Martse, we don’t want to speculate.”

According to the family, Martse died of wounds resulted from burns he sustained on Saturday in Mangochi District.

Meanwhile, Music Association of Union (MUM) vice President Anthony Dumba has asked government to consider provision of security to artists in the country saying that they are living in fear over increasing reports of attacks on the artists.

“There is lot of fear, a lot of confusion amongst artists, there is a big to say are we really safe?

As a Union we are crying to our government to protect the artists in this country, more especially after this incident because there are a lot of threats which are being thrown unto musicians,” lamented Dumba.

The body of the artist has since been laid to rest at Area 18 Cemetery in Lilongwe.

Martse, who was born on May 18, 1994 died on Monday this week on May 23, 2022 at 28 years of age.