Police in Dowa have arrested a 44-year-old Congolese man following the death of his wife at Dzaleka on July 9, 2026.
Dowa Police Station Public Relations Officer Sub Inspector Alice Sitima identified the suspect as Wilonje Ettando and the deceased as 22-year-old Mapendo Assan.
According to police, Assan was taken to Dzaleka Health Centre in the early hours of July 9 by her husband and relatives, who said she had suddenly fallen ill.
Medical personnel found that she was already dead when she arrived and noticed signs that prompted them to report the matter to police. Her body was taken to Dowa District Hospital for further examination.
A postmortem found that Assan died from suffocation caused by strangulation.
Police investigations indicate that Ettando had recently returned from Mozambique and joined his wife at Dzaleka shortly before her death.
Police allege that the couple had argued over suspicions that Assan was pregnant. Medical examinations later established that she was not pregnant.
Ettando is expected to appear in court to face a murder charge.
