Reports reaching FaceOfMalawi indicates that police in Kasungu have arrested a man identified as Bernard Mwale for allegedly chopping off his wife’s hand.

According to Kasungu Police public relations officer, Harry Namwaza confirmed the suspect is currently remanded at Kasungu Prison waiting to appear before court while the victim is still in hospital.

Bernard Kajani, an uncle to the victim, said his niece had been complaining of Gender Based Violence after she got married last year, and family members advised her to return to her home until they could settle their differences.

He said the two have been on separation and the suspect kept coming to the victim’s house over possibility of reconciliation, a thing which did not work out.

“On April 15, 2020 her husband came to our village on a mission to take their child. My niece refused to let him to take the child, a thing which did not go well with the husband, it was this time that he produced a Panga knife which he used to chop off the right hand of my niece and he escaped,” Kajani said.*

The uncle said his niece had blocked the husband’s attempts to take the child on the basis that the child is still young and therefore needed to complete her under five clinic sessions.

Kajani’s hand has since been amputated at Kasungu District Hospital.

Speaking on the arrest, Kasungu Police PRO said, “I can confirm that we arrested a man identified as Bernard Mwale who comes from Chaola Village in Traditional Authority Chulu’s area for allegedly hacking his wife’s hand, leaving her in such a horrific condition that doctors had no choice but to amputate the hand,” he said.*

Meanwhile, Gender Coordination Network GCN Executive Director Barbara Banda has condemned the incident, saying they will do everything possible to ensure that the man is held answerable.