Malawi albinos beg APM for secure houses

Albinos in Malawi have begged President Peter Mutharika to provide them modern and secure houses to foil evil people who make forced entries into their rickety homes to kill and abduct them for ritual purposes.

Association for People with Albinism in Malawi (Apam) president Bonface Massah made the plea when a high-powered delegation of his association had an audience with the President at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe yesterday.

The audience included a two-hour closed-day meeting during which Mutharika discussed substantive issues with his guests, against the grim background that by yesterday, there were 66 cases of albino victimisations, including six killings, 14 kidnappings, three missing persons and 28 of tampering with graveyards.

Massah appealed to the President to enlist the albinos as special beneficiaries of the modern and affordable homes his government is constructing for poor and vulnerable people across the country under the Malata-Cement Subsidy Programme.

“We wish to state that the attacks have happened due to poor and insecure houses for our members. We appeal to you that the housing programme should benefit persons with albinism, to enhance their security,” he added.

He thanked Mutharika for personally condemning those involved in targeting albinos and for enhancing security for this vulnerable community through a task force readily providing rapid responses foiling the attacks.

“We call upon all stakeholders such as the opposition, Members of Parliament, donors, faith-based organisations, the media, traditional leaders, traditional healers and the general public to collaborate closely on the plight of persons with albinism,” he stated.

In his speech, Mutharika stressed his government’s determination to continue protecting the lives of people with albinism.

Said Mutharika: “I want to assure you that my government will not tolerate this malpractice, which has brought fear and a sense of insecurity among persons with albinism, their relations and their friends. This is evil and a threat to the most fundamental human rights in our Constitution and we will deal accordingly with those who are associated with these barbaric acts.”

He appealed to traditional leaders and all Malawians to be vigilant and to report suspected perpetrators of the albino attacks to the police, who have already secured 12 convictions in courts.