Blantyre police registers 20 albinos in two weeks

The Blantyre Police Station has registered twenty people  with albinism since commencement of the exercise two weeks ago.

The exercise follows an order from the national police headquarters to have the population of albinos known and attach them to their nearest police station where they can easily report if they feel threatened.

It also comes amid an increase in reported cases of albino abductions and killings since February last year with registered murder cases now at 17 and more than 65 abductions.

The malpractice is said to have brought fear, breakdown of communal life and sense of insecurity among persons with albinism, relatives and friends.

Speaking in an interview over the weekend, Blantyre police spokesperson Elizabeth Divala said the station has so far registered eight people with albinism from South Lunzu, seven from Milare and five from Mbayani.

“As part of the process, we are also registering their close relatives who are entrusted to help in safeguarding them as they will be answerable if anything bad happens. We are doing this to ensure proper monitoring and maximum protection of people with albinism,” explained Divala.

Divala said police are working with village heads who are providing all the necessary information for registration.

Association of People with Albinism (Apam) president Boniface Massa hailed the initiative, describing it as one of the immediate interventions towards the eradication of albino abductions and killings in the country.

Said Massa: “I urge Apam members to support the initiative by collaborating with the police as it is imperative that the nation has a data of all albinos to be able to reach out to them.”

He also called for the strengthening of community policing structures across the country.