Malawi albino killers face death penalty: High Court to hear murder case of two men sentenced  25 years

May 6, 2016 Wanga Gwede- Nyasa Times 26 Comments

Two men  who have been sentenced to 25 years in prison in Malawi for  participating in the process that led to the murder of a 17-year-old with albinism for his body parts face death penalty as they have now been committed to the High Court to answer murder charges.

Jailed albino hunters
Jailed albino hunters

The two, 26-year-old Vuto Bizwick and 20-year-old Manuel Robert, were arrested last week after they confessed to have abducted the boy, Fletcher Machinjiri, whom they took to Mozambique where he was murdered and his bones removed for rituals.

Dedza deputy police spokesperson Cassim Manda said the two convicts have been committed to High Court which has the jurisdiction to hear murder cases and face a maximum sentence of death penalty.

However, Malawi has had a de facto moratorium on capital punishment and carried out its last execution, by hanging, before 1994.

On Thursday President Peter Mutharika met person with albinism , promising firm action to stop the murders.

Dedza First grade magistrate Eneta Jiya Banda only sentenced the two on three charges, six years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) on the first count of conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to Section 404 of the Penal Code and 12 years IHL on the second count of abducting with intent to murder contrary to Section 261 of the Penal Code, to run concurrently.

On the third count of trafficking a person contrary to Section 15 sub section (1) of Trafficking Act No 3 of 2015,  Magistrate Jiya Banda sentenced the two convicts to 13 years imprisonment with hard labour after getting the nod from High Court judge Ivy Kamanga as the offence of trafficking in person attracts a maximum sentence of 21 years, which is beyond the jurisdiction of the First Grade Magistrate’s Court.

The magistrate showed the court gruesome pictures of how Davis Fletcher Machinjiri was butchered by Vuto Biswick and Emmanuel Robert, who then took his body parts to Mozambique to sell.

Witchdoctors say potions made from the body parts of albinos – who lack pigment in their skin, eyes and hair – can bring good luck and wealth. They are prepared to pay K50 million for a complete set of albino body parts.

But  governments and human rights campaigners are battling to change  such wrong perception.

One of the people who attended the court told Nyasa Times: “These evil people should rot in jail, they are a disgrace. We don’t want them back into this community.”

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26 replies on “Malawi albino killers face death penalty: High Court to hear murder case of two men sentenced  25 years”

  3. Give them to us tichite nawo, atiphera abale athu. Ifenso tizikawadyetsa. Stop this inhuman behaviour. However no body who kills has time to enjoy the money. Akungokuputsitsani. Bola kumavutika ndi umphawiwu uli ndi mtendere

  4. It’s all poverty causing all this nonsense and the poor governance of our useless president.there was no such a thing during dr banda because there was enough security at every level.

  8. You hunters!y killng ur friends like dogs!muzakumana nacho chilango choopsa ndithu

  9. No hesitation they should face death penalty bcoz these people are boring …..enough is enough

  10. R the other prisoners safe with people like these. Please place such people in solitary confinement where they don’t even see the sun.

  11. Yes that’s the way to go. Please the high court do your job if these will be sentenced to death then it will send a strong signal to the would be killers of the pple with albinism. APM do not hesitate to sign the death sentence once the high court make the ruling Do IT. Let’s save the lives of the pple with albinism and this should apply to who kill others intentionally.

  14. This is a sad story, albinos are also peoples like us. killing them, just because you dissidents, you want to be come millioners through their body parts, why can,t you kill your own body and leave worthy with your relaves.You are hunting albinos, same as pouchers who always hunts wild animals in restricted areas eg: game reserves/national parks. I support 100% If Government can re call back death penauties to all marderers,who kills albinos/all malawians

  17. Osabwenzera choipa mphunzitseni munthu chikhalidwe choyenera. Kuweluza kuli kwa mwini Yehova

  21. Mukangotaya anthu oterewa sitizitengera olakwa ku police tizi langa tokha mmamidzimu { fire basi}

  22. ITS THE EXTREME POVERTY AND THE PEOPLES WILL
    TO SURVIVE THAT CAUSES THIS TRAGIC EVENT

    WHAT ABOUT FOCUSING ON IMPROVING THE LIVES OF
    THE PEOPLE .. THAT MIGHT HELP

    NO STATE HAS THE RIGHT TO TAKE ANOTHER HUMAN BEINGS LIFE!..

  25. muli ndi mwai agalu inu kut mwamangidwa, tikangokupeza musanagwidwe ndi a police munali madzi inu. mukanaona moto ukuyaka pathupi panupo agalu inu.

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