Machinga moves to lower albino killings

Stakeholders in Machinga have embarked on a joint awareness campaign to reduce the rising cases of abductions and killings of people with albinism in the district.

Machinga is the worst hit district on cases of abduction and killing of people with albinism is concerned.

The campaign is led by district commissioner Reighard Chavula-Kaweta, Machinga Police Station officer-in-charge Isaac Maluwa and World Vision.

So far, the campaign has reached several households, especially those with people with albinism.

Chavula-Kaweta said in an interview the aim of the meetings was to reduce cases of albino abduction and killings and tampering of their graveyards to exhume the bones.

On his part, Maluwa asked the communities to desist from the malpractice and report to police anybody they suspect of engaging in the act.

Machinga Police spokesperson Dave Sulumba said as of March this year, only three cases of albino abduction were registered against four during the same period last year.

The latest case occurred last month when unknown people broke into a house in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chikweo and snatched a nine-year-old .His decomposed head was found three weeks later under a bridge. n