Apam adamant

Despite President Peter Mutharika’s commitment to address concerns of persons with albinism (PWAs), including funding a four-year National Action Plan, the Association of Persons with Albinism (Apam) is far from being convinced.

In an interview after the President hosted about 50 PWAs at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe yesterday, Apam president Overstone Kondowe, whose grouping shunned the meeting, said they will go ahead with their planned vigils at State House from March 6 to 8 to demand commitment and protection for PWAs.

He said Apam would only appreciate the President’s commitment if the pledges are put on paper to make them official. Kondowe said Apam’s position comes against a background of an engagement with Mutharika where he passionately made similar verbal commitments, but nothing was fulfilled.

Said Kondowe: “Apam is not looking for promises because we have received such promises from the Head of State three times at the State House and even other promises from Cabinet ministers. What we are looking for this time around is action not pledges.”

During the meeting attended by about 50 PWAs mostly drawn from the Southern Region under the banner of Poor and Concerned People with Albinism (Pacpwa), the President responded to demands of PWAs and directed Treasury to immediately start disbursing the K3.1 billion budgeted for the 2018-2022 National Action Plan on the killing and abduction of PWAs in the country.

Lack of funding for the action plan was one of the major concerns Apam raised before pulling out of a Presidential Task Force on PWAs apart from what it termed insensitive remarks by Minister of Homeland Security Nicholas Dausi. The minister has since withdrawn the remarks and apologised to the PWAs community.

Mutharika addressed most of the concerns that Apam outlined as the basis for the vigils at State House scheduled for March 6 to 8 next week.

Said the President: “I have commitments to make to you, firstly I have directed the government to procure 3 000 personal security alarms that will be distributed to persons with albinism to alert the police when faced with abduction threats.

“I have also directed that government will be giving out K5 million worth of reward to anyone who can provide the police with information leading to the arrest and prosecution of people planning to abduct or kill persons with albinism.

“Thirdly, I have instructed the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to engage foreign investigating experts to investigate the whereabouts of the markets of body parts from people with albinism”.

At the end of the meeting with Pacpwa in camera, Mutharika also asked Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to prioritise PWAs in the Decent and Affordable Housing Subsidy Programme popularly known as Cement and Malata Subsidy. The need to prioritise PWAs was also another Apam demand.

Besides, the President also pledged that government would finance an adhoc court to speed up hearing of cases involving the abductions and killings of PWAs.

Mutharika said he was saddened that some politicians were taking the issue as a political campaign tool ahead of the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.

He said: “No one should use people with albinism for political campaign.

“It’s an evil act and inhumane, it reduces the dignity of our fellow citizens with albinism. I repeat, stop politicising albino killings and let us join hands to protect them. It is a tragedy that has befallen us that need collective solutions.”

He commended members of Pacpwa for attending the meeting at a time Apam members snubbed his dialogue call.

“We will not be able to solve the current problems by finger pointing,” said Mutharika.

NGO Board chairperson Abigail Dzimadzi, who is also vice-chairperson of the Apam board of trustees and attended the meeting, asked government to institute a commission of inquiry and fully implement the action plan.

She said some PWAs shunned the meeting because they were frustrated that previous dialogue meetings with Mutharika did not yield desired results. Dzimadzi said they were now demanding action than mere rhetoric.

Pacpwa chairperson Francis Masambuka, who was flanked by his secretary general Ellen Khonje, urged Mutharika to, among others, implement the National Action Plan, speed up trial for people involved in the abduction and killing of people with albinism and to declare abduction and killings of people with albinism a national crisis.

He asked the President to provide extra funding to police saying Pacpwa has noted that the police are constrained on resources to fulfil some of the directives being made, including the 24-hour security for communities.

On her part, Khonje also dared Mutharika to investigate reports linking politicians and influential people in society to the abduction and killing of people with albinism.

From November 2014 to date, the number of reported crimes against PWAs in Malawi has risen to more than 150 cases, including at least 23 murders and seven attempted murders, according to information from public records.

Condemnation of the barbaric acts have been universal. Last year, global human rights watchdog Amnesty International appealed to authorities to urgently overhaul the criminal justice system to protect PWAs, who face the persistent threat of being killed for their body parts in a country where it said the vast majority of the horrific crimes remain unresolved and unpunished.

The biggest challenges facing the judiciary, prosecutors and police in Malawi include a lack of financial resources and qualified personnel to handle crimes against people with albinism, which has resulted in a backlog of cases.