Paranormal record / 2017
Southern Malawi. Mid-September 2017. A rumour moved from village to village. Bloodsuckers were said to enter homes at night, leave their victims unable to move, and drain their blood for witchcraft. In Thyolo district, Jamiya Bauleni saw a light on the corner of her roof. She could not stand. Something pierced her left arm. Within weeks, roadblocks and night patrols lined the roads around Mulanje Mountain. Mobs killed at least nine people. About 200 suspected vigilantes were arrested. The UN moved its staff out and the Peace Corps withdrew its volunteers. The President toured the stricken districts. Police and doctors searched for proof. They found no evidence that anyone's blood had been taken.
Mid-September 2017. A rumour began to spread through Malawi's Southern Region. It told of anamapopa magazi, the bloodsuckers. They came into homes at night, put people into a stupor and drained their blood for witchcraft. The UN's security department, UNDSS, said the rumour had come from neighbouring Mozambique. Some residents believed the bloodsuckers gathered blood under the guise of aid programs.