Group Village Head (GVH) Chimangansasa from Traditional Authority (TA) Njewa in Lilongwe has expressed concern over the strained relationship between his community and Nutricom Food and Beverages.
The company, which manufactures the Kombucha health drink, is located within the village.
The chief’s comments follow the recent arrest of three villagers—Chisomo Kawanga, Hamet, and a woman—by the police on Monday.
He said the arrest occurred after the villagers sought payment for work they had done for the company.
According to GVH Chimangansasa, the three villagers approached the company to demand their payments.
After the disagreement, Nutricom called the police, who intervened and dispersed the villagers.
“People were beaten, and the police even followed the villagers to their homes; it was an unfortunate situation,” he stated.
There was no immediate response from the police regarding this incident.
“This has become a frequent occurrence, unlike in the past when the relationship between the villagers and the company was positive. Previously, when disagreements arose, they would invite local leaders for discussions, but nowadays, they resort to involving the police,” the chief lamented.
After learning about the arrest of the three villagers, he said he confronted the company, which assured him they would be released on Tuesday.
However, he was uncertain if that release had taken place by the time of our report.
Efforts to contact the company were unsuccessful, as the owners are reportedly out of the country.
