Chakwera says protection of people with albinism is also political: ‘No excuses’

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate Lazarus Chakwera has said it is wrong to say the issue of protecting people with albinism is not a political issue.

Chakwera was speaking during a rally at Wataka Primary School ground in Machinga on Sunday.

“These issues have a wide variety of angles from which they can be approached and these angles include political, cultural, social, economical and other avenues how people interact with one another,” he said.

Chakwera further explained that laws are made by politicians who are elected to go to parliament and if the politicians are not willing to come through they must tell the world and the country that they have failed to protect their people and if they[the leaders] can’t face it or the heat is too much for them, they should “get out of the kitchen”.

“People with albinism should be protected, every vulnerable group should feel this is our land and we are being protected by the institutions of this land,” he added.

During the rally, Chakwera also pledged that once voted into power, his government will create employment, change the financial year to be in line with farming activities for farmers to benefit, introduce universal subsidy program, introduce hardship allowance for police officers in rural areas, lower interest rates, tighten security and construct good roads and schools, among others.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa, Muleya Mwananyanda has condemned a comment made by Homeland Security Minister, Nicholas Dausi that the abductions and killing of people with albinism have not reached critical levels.

In a statement, Mwananyanda expressed concern that such comments can potentially fuel the cases.