National News

Missing person with albinism found murdered

 

The body of a Machinga-based man with albinism, Macdonald Masambuka, 22, who went missing in February this year, was found yesterday murdered and buried within the district.

Police traced the body of Masambuka following confessions from suspects who had been arrested in connection with the crime.

Masambuka had been missing for weeks before his body was found

In a telephone interview yesterday, National Police deputy spokesperson Thomeck Nyaude said they have so far arrested over seven people and more arrests will be made as investigations are still ongoing.

He said: “Our CID [Criminal Investigations Department] officers yesterday went to Machinga where they managed to trace where the body was buried. As of now, we have arrested over seven suspects and likely, more arrests will be made as we are still doing our investigations.”

According to Nyaude, the body of Masambuka is currently at Machinga District Hospital pending medical examination.

The murder of Masambuka brings the total number of persons with albinism killed to 22 since 2014.

Over nine cases of abductions have been reported where three of the cases have been recorded in the last four months.

Last month, a rights group, Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), accused the Malawi Police Service (MPS) of failing to successfully investigate cases of abductions and killings of people with albinism.

In a statement signed by the group’s chairperson Timothy Mtambo and his deputy Gift Trapence, the group said they were appalled at the rate at which attacks on persons with albinism continue to happen in the country.

The group called on government to accord the issue the attention and priority it deserves.

In April 2016, a United Nations (UN) independent expert on the rights of persons with disabilities, Ikponwosa Ero, said the atrocities were rendering persons with albinism an endangered group facing a risk of systemic extinction over time if nothing is done.

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