Member of Parliament for Zomba Thondwe Constituency, Dumisani Lindani, has called on the Malawi Police Service to intensify investigations into cases involving the theft and vandalism of railway infrastructure, saying arrests and convictions alone will not end the growing crime.
Speaking after a parliamentary sitting, Lindani, who also chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Public Infrastructure, commended police for arresting suspects who were found transporting stolen railway bars and sleepers concealed beneath scrap metal in Thyolo.
However, the legislator stressed that investigations should go beyond those caught in possession of the stolen materials to identify the masterminds behind the syndicates, including those who finance the operations and the markets where the stolen railway equipment is sold.
Lindani warned that the continued theft and destruction of railway infrastructure undermine government investments in the transport sector, noting that millions of kwacha are being spent to rehabilitate and expand the country’s railway network.
He said vandalism of railway assets not only delays national development but also poses a serious threat to public safety.
According to Lindani, dismantling the entire criminal network is the only sustainable way of tackling the vice, rather than focusing solely on individuals found transporting the stolen materials.
He further suggested that Parliament may need to review existing laws governing infrastructure vandalism to ensure penalties are tough enough to deter offenders and protect strategic national assets.
