Malawi Police arrest man for trying to murder albino boy for his body parts

Malawi Police at Chintheche in Nkhatabay on Friday arrested a 21 year old man Mphatso Phiri for trying to strangle to death  an albino lady.

Boniface Massa: Commission of inquiry should probe markets of albino body parts

Phiri was in company of his two accomplices who are at large and were armed with knives

According to Nkhata bay police spokesperson Ignatius Esau, the incident occurred around the afternoon hours of 8 March, 2017.

He said the suspect went to the house of the victim, Dailess Longwe around 6 pm to attack her.

“They started threatening to stub her to death with a knife. Longwe shouted for a help and was rescued by her husband who was chatting at a nearby house,” said Easu.

The suspects managed to run away but  police arrested Phiri the next day.

Phiri, who hails from Chifya village in the are of Traditional Authority Mankhambira in Nkhatabay distirict, is expected to appear before the court soon to answer charges of Intimidation that infringes section 88 (1) of the country’s penal code.

Call for more protection

Malawians are still expressing discontentment over efforts being employed by various stakeholders, the police in particular, in safeguarding lives of people with albinism in the country.

Meanwhile, in Chikwawa,  Malawi News Agency’s  Martin Chiwanda reports that Member of Parliament (MP) for Chikwawa South Elias Abdul Karim has said there is need for stakeholders to be more aggressive in safeguarding the lives of people with albinism.

“I am very concerned that not much is being done on the ground to curb this barbaric behavior. I see that law enforcers are not working closely with the local people.

“Therefore, unless law enforcers work closely with the local people in the lower shire, for example, it will be difficult for the country to make strides in containing the situation,” said Karim.

He advised Malawians in general to work hard if they are to attain economic development other than being cheated that they would excel economically by selling bones of people with albinism.

Coordinator for National Association of People with Albinism (ABAM) Boniface Massa challenged government to establish a commission of enquiry to probe where the so-called markets for albino body parts are located and why the trend is still increasing.

Meanwhile, the Malawi Police Service (MPS) has warned of an aggressive approach in hunting down suspected attackers of people with albinism in the country.

In his remarks, Inspector General (IG) of the Malawi Police Lextern Kachama issued a warning to people involved in the gruesome activities on Monday at Labu Primary School in the area of Sub Traditional Authority Masache in Chikwawa, where the police engaged the communities in a campaign aimed at ending violence against people with albinism.

Kachama decried the resurfacing of violence against people with albinism in the country which he said will not be condoned.

In the early hours of 3rd March, 2017; two brothers with albinism in Chikwawa Alfred and Yonane Misoya aged 27 and 21 respectively were attacked by unknown thugs deemed to be albino body part sellers.

Albino rituals

In Malawi like other African nations, albinos are killed for their body parts, which are then sold to witchdoctors who use them for rituals and potions.

Belief in witchcraft runs deep in Malawi and albino body parts are often used in rituals. Even the bodies of dead albinos are sometimes exhumed and sold.

Albinism is a hereditary genetic condition which causes a total absence of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes.

It is often as a result of inbreeding, experts say.

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GOD will judge
7 years ago

work hard and you will achieve what you want. do u think those who are rich used albino body parts. as long as your nose faces downwards, you will also die. GOD will deal with you.

vuto mbali inanso ndi malamulo athu Ife Amalawi. lamulo lonyonga likanakhala kuti likugwira ntchito, bwenzi izizi zinatha kalekale.

Losambo
Losambo
7 years ago
Reply to  GOD will judge

Lamulo lonyonga lilipo and people are condemned to death up to now, all we need is our coward president to sign. Basitu akatero, ndichandamale nthawi yomweyo.

innocent
innocent
7 years ago
Reply to  GOD will judge

the government needs to punish these killers with maximum punishment so as to give an example on all the involved mwinanso angokhazikisanso Chicago chonyonga then it will send them a message

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