A Malawian man wanted for the alleged murder of a Zimbabwean student, Linda Gassa, in 2010 was arrested on Tuesday morning in South Africa
Misozi Charles Chanthunya, who was Gassa’s boyfriend, has been on the run for the past two years.
“Yes, I can confirm that Misozi Chanthunya was arrested this morning in Rusternbug, South Africa in the North-west province,” Malawi Inspector-General of police Peter Mukhito told MaraPost.
“He was cohabiting with a Malawian girl.”
Mukhito said the Malawi police intelligence passed information to Interpol in South Africa, leading to the arrest.
“We’re making arrangements with our colleagues in South Africa to extradite him so he can face justice here,” he said.
In August 2010, Gassa’s body was found buried under a slab at Chanthunya’s cottage.
The 25 year-old woman, who was a second-year student at the Malawi College of Accountancy, was last seen on August 4 of that year in the company of Chanthunya, a married businessman.
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Gassa’s cousin Jessie Kachale said at the time the lovebirds had gone to the southern lakeshore district of Mangochi to discuss her three-month-old pregnancy, which Chanthunya wanted terminated against her will.
Autopsy results established that Gassa didn’t die of natural causes, but was “poisoned” and that she “had been pregnant at some point before her death”. Her remains were brought to Zimbabwe for burial.
The Malawi Police Service was roundly criticised for the way it handled the murder investigation and for not arresting Chanthunya, who skipped the country after being questioned by police following Gassa’s disappearance.
Chanthunya had told police he had dropped off his girlfriend, who was on her way to Harare, at Blantyre’s main station.
