Chakwera promises to end albino attacks within a month in power: Supports State House vigil

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera says if voted into power during the May 21 elections, he will end attacks on people with albinism within a month.

Chakwera said this at a news conference at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe on the recent attacks on people with albinism.

The MCP leader said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration has “miserably failed” to deliver on its socio-economic promises to Malawians and gave the DPP government low marks on the attacks of persons with albinism.

He said the DPP promised security for all, but  has  to provide security for  person with albinism and others who are attacked for political reasons.

Chakwera accused the Malawi Police Service (MPS) of failing to successfully investigate cases of abductions and killings of people with albinism.

“I will work with the Police, the Army, the Civil Society Organizations,  National Intelligence Services, as well as the all Malawians to completely deal with the issues of albinism,” said Chakwera.

The MCP leader said he is deeply concerned by the rate at which attacks on persons with albinism continue to happen in the country and urged the President to fund the National Action Plan against killings and abduction of people with albinism.

He said the plan only needs K3 billion but he was surprised that up to now the plan has not been funded when persons with albinism continue being killed and attacked, accusing  authorities of choosing  to do business as usual, with little or no urgency in their protection and response/

Chakwera said the only person with powers to commission investigations on the matter is the President.

He said the already arrested people should be questioned and the information extracted.

Chakwera promised that on March 3 2019 he will give a solidarity support by joining Association of People with Albinism (Apam) in  its planned vigil at State House to force authorities to look into their security demands.

The association has also urged Malawians to vote wisely in the coming elections to make a difference, saying the polls present an opportunity for the people to make the country a better place for everyone.

Apam president Overtone Kondowe said if the vigils do not yield results, Apam will demand that Malawi be declared an unsafe zone and they will seek help so that  people with albinism seek asylum in other countries.

But Minister of Homeland Security Nicholas Dausi has discouraged the association from holding the vigil, saying it will not yield anything and that it will “only complicate matters”,  saying government is doing all it can to address the situation.