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

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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Owen Divala
Owen Divala
7 years ago

Zoonadi chilango cha Milingu chilipasi pompano

kadansana
kadansana
7 years ago

Iwe no 10 kodi akadakhala mbale wako ukananena zimenezi

Mathanyula Nyaphaphi
Mathanyula Nyaphaphi
7 years ago

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

Joseph kaduna
Joseph kaduna
7 years ago

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.

Samson Banda
Samson Banda
7 years ago

Opha Zake Nayenso……! Size Yomweyo Basi

chims
chims
7 years ago

Yeah that’s real treatment and the government must do it

Jelbin Mk
Jelbin Mk
7 years ago

They should be sent to gallows full stop.

Esther
Esther
7 years ago

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

Norman Chiumia
Norman Chiumia
7 years ago

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

Ayaya kumudzi
Ayaya kumudzi
7 years ago

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

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