LocationsBuilding Community Peace in Mangochi: How Local Leadership and Policing Partnerships are Reducing Violence
December 22, 2025
Mpondasi Village in Mangochi district
The morning sun rises over Mangochi’s sandy lakeshore, casting a soft glow on the Shire River extending out of Lake Malawi and winding quietly past Mpondasi village. Fishermen push their boats into the current while women prepare for the day’s market, their laughter mingling with the distant calls of waterbirds.
Along a narrow path, a man walks, not toward his fields, but to meet fellow community members for their routine patrols. In this riverside community, citizens are working together to protect their own peace.
For years, the village struggled with theft, mob justice, and violent disputes. When tempers flared, machetes were drawn before anyone thought of calling the police. It was a cycle of fear and revenge that left scars on both victims and communities. But today, people like Emmanuel Jere, a 51-year-old farmer and father of three, are proving that peace can start with ordinary citizens willing to act differently.
“In the past, people took the law into their own hands,” Emmanuel says, his face breaking into a quiet smile. “Now, we bring suspects to the police. We talk. We don’t fight.”
His story reflects a broader change sweeping through Mangochi, a district that is discovering that lasting peace grows not from punishment, but from partnership.
A District Learning to Live in Harmony
Inspector James Kumbikano of the Malawi Police, who is the Community Policing Coordinator for Mangochi (second from left), interacting with some of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) members at Mangochi Police Station
Mangochi District, stretching along the southern tip of Lake Malawi, is home to over half a million people who rely on farming, fishing, and trade. Its proximity to the Mozambican border makes it both a hub of opportunity and a corridor of risk, from cross-border trafficking to disputes over land and resources.
For years, these challenges strained the relationship between the police and communities. Reports of theft or violence were often followed by vigilante action rather than lawful arrest. With limited vehicles and manpower, the police could not respond everywhere in time, and trust eroded with each unaddressed crime.
That began to change with the engagement of Community Policing Forums (CPFs) members through training in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and early-warning and response. These were implemented by the Malawi Peace and Unity Commission (MPUC) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). In villages like Mpondasi, CPF members now help mediate disputes, prevent violence, and connect communities directly to law enforcement.
Turning Fear into Cooperation
Assistant Commissioner Limbani Bekete, Officer in Charge at Mangochi Police Station, has seen the difference firsthand.
“These days, communities are taking the initiative for their own security,” he says. “They report threats, they bring suspects to us, and they save us time and resources. We have a strong relationship because we built trust.”
Inspector James Kumbikano, who coordinates community policing in the district, says the impact has been profound.
“People welcomed the trainings with open arms,” he says. “They saw value in gaining new skills. Now, they can resolve disputes peacefully even in border areas where tensions used to run high.”
The sessions reshaped attitudes on both sides. Police officers learned to engage communities with empathy, while CPF members gained a clearer understanding of the law and their own limits.
“When respect flows both ways,” Kumbikano adds, “security becomes a shared responsibility.”
A Farmer’s Story of Restraint and Resolve
Emmanuel Jere (in the middle) shaking hands with Inspector James Kumbikano of the Malawi Police
When Emmanuel joined the Mpondasi CPF, he saw it as a way to give back to his community. He never imagined his calm voice would one day stand between a mob and its target.
One harvest season, villagers caught a man stealing maize. “People shouted, ‘Let’s beat him!’” Emmanuel recalls. “But I told them, ‘Let the law take its course. The police and courts can handle it better than us.’”
With another CPF member, he escorted the suspect on their bicycles to the police station, protecting him from mob justice.
A few weeks later, when another man was caught stealing goats, Emmanuel again intervened before the mob could harm him.
“It wasn’t easy,” he admits. “Some people still wanted to take revenge. But we managed to calm them, and we called the police. The goats were returned, and the man lived.”
His quiet leadership earned him respect across the community. “Before, that man would not have survived,” he says.
“Now, people think twice before acting in anger. They see there’s another way.”
A Community United by Peace
Today, Mpondasi feels different. The same people who once feared one another now walk side by side during patrols and village meetings. Chiefs, police officers, and CPF members meet regularly to share ideas and celebrate their success.
“We’ve learned that peace begins with us,” says Inspector Kumbikano. “Our job is to guide them, not to command them.”
For Emmanuel, that lesson has become personal. “We used to be feared,” he says softly. “Now people trust us. We keep the peace because it’s ours to protect.”
As evening settles over Mpondasi, Emmanuel joins his fellow forum members for another patrol along the Shire River. Their torches glint faintly —a symbol of vigilance and unity.
Once, these paths echoed with fear. Now, they carry the steady rhythm of a community that chose peace over violence.
“We stopped the mob” Emmanuel says. “Now we’re building peace.”
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