Albino body exhumed: Malawi Police confirm arrest of herbalists over rituals

Residents of Msemwe village Traditional Authority (T/A) Simphasi in Mchinji woke up in awe on Monday morning when they discovered the body of a 20-year-old man with albinism exhumed from the grave.

Patrick Katutu, a teacher at Mbachundu Primary School which is near the graveyard told Mana that villagers were surprised to see a coffin of Sopriano Felix who died on 20th April, 2016 lying on top of the deceased’s grave with its cover broken.

“Yesterday, when we passed by the cemetery, we saw the coffin with Felix’s  remains, which were buried on 21st April,  on top of the grave with the cover of the coffin broken into pieces and we alerted the Police,” he said.

Mchinji Police spokesperson Moses Kajawa Nyirenda confirmed the body of the deceased with albinism who died at Kamuzu Central Hospital after battling tuberculosis was exhumed from the grave.

Nyirenda said the police and a medical official from Mchinji District Hospital discovered that arms and legs of the deceased were all removed. The remains have since been reburied.

The police said they have launched a man-hunt to apprehend the unknown criminals.

Meanwhile residents of Msemwe village say two more people with albinism in the area are living in fear due to the incident.

“We want protection for the two people with albinism in the area, because we know the criminals will now target them,” Katutu said.

Herbalists arrested

Malawi Police have meanwhile confirmed that their counterparts in Mozambique have arrested two herbalists in connection with the death of a Dedza based albino boy who was abducted and killed for his bones.

Dedza police assistant spokesperson Cassim Manda confirmed the arrest of herbalists Tafatatha Chinyamula and Madalitso Tafatatha on allegations that he is connected to the brutal killing of 17 year-old Fletcher Machinjiri.

Manda said the police in Malawi are making arrangements to bring the two herbalists in Malawi to answer charges of murder.

He could however not say exactly when they are expected to be brought to Malawi.

The arrest follows the sentencing this week of two men to 25 years in prison for abducting Machinjiri.

The two men and the herbalists are also expected to answer murder charges in the High Court of Malawi.

Moral decay

Father George Kaliati of St. Pius of the Catholic Church on Saturday condemned the abductions and killings of the persons with albinism describing it as a symbol of moral decay and lack of love for one another.

President Peter Mutharika has since ordered the security agents to be vigilant and arrest all those involved in the vice and bring them to book.

He said his government would send a delegation to Tanzania to learn how the country managed to deal with the problem.

Human bones for people with albinism are sold for quick rich charms and a suspect said he was promised K15 billion for the bones whilst in Tanzania,  Al Jazeera reports the bones can fetch as high as US$175000.

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