Malawi: A road accident in the Chitipa district has claimed the life of a National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) officer. The accident took place on Sunday, Christmas Eve. The victim was riding a motorbike at the time of the accident.
The investigating officers have identified the victim as Penjani Msukwa. The 35 year old was a resident of the Chipwela village in the area of Senior Chief Mwenemisuku in the district.
As per the officials, the accident happened at around 20:00 hours at Mselema along Chitipa -Karonga (M26) road. The deceased lost control of his vehicle due to speeding after which he collided with an oncoming cyclist.
The accident also resulted in the cyclist sustaining a broken leg and head injury.
According to the police spokesperson, Msukwa was riding a Honda XL motorcycle registration number LL12219. He was travelling from Lufita direction to Chitipa trading centre.
Upon arrival at Mselema, he lost control of the motorcycle due to speeding and hit a pedal cyclist from the opposite direction.
Following the impact, National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) officer sustained severe head injury. He was taken to the Chitipa District Hospital by some people of goodwill. The victim succumbed to his injuries while he was receiving treatment at the hospital.
The Postmortem was also conducted for the victim at the said hospital which showed that death was due to loss of blood secondary to severe head injury.
After the unfortunate incident, police in the district appeals to road users to always observe speed limit to avoid accidents. The people of the district have expressed their sympathies and condolences to the victim’s family on their loss.
Some of the users, who knew the officer personally, stated that he will be missed. Meanwhile, several others wished for his soul to find peace.
Road accidents have become a prominent cause of injury and death in many parts of the country. The disregard of speeding limits is one of the most notable cause of road traffic accidents.
The people, along with the leadership of the country urge road users to maintain caution while driving. Additionally, the authorities ask road users to take precautionary measures to protect themselves.