No lip service to deal with albino killings– Malawi opposition chief calls for action
Wanga Gwede –Nyasa Times
Leader of opposition Lazarus Chakwera has said not enough is being done to protect the people with albinism in Malawi who are targeted for killing and their bodies mutilated, saying government should act and not lip service.
In his address to parliament in response to State-of-the-nation-address delivered by President Mutharika on Friday, Chakwera who is also president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) said authorities should ensure that the suspected perpetrators of the horrific crimes are brought to justice, and that they address the root causes of the killings, which have left people with albinism living in constant fear
“We have watched with absolute dismay the helplessness of the executive and its security system in arresting the abduction and killing of people living with albinism. The abductors and killers and indeed their network will not be stopped by radio or TV or bill board adverts on the President’s statements,” pointed out Chakwera.
“They will not be stopped by press conferences. They will not be stopped by the marching of the Police Chief protesting against these abductions. They will be stopped when we stop talking and arrest them, uncover and disrupt their syndicates, associated witchdoctors and all involved,” he added.
He blasted in effective ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, saying it is “only busy extracting rents and bribes from motorists through all these road blocks yet we continue to lose more and more priceless lives.”
Added Chakwera: “ Is it not a ridiculous misplacement of effort that this government is obsessed with tracking Whatsapp chats and yet cannot with similar zeal stop these senseless killings? Where are your daily, weekly, and monthly priorities of our national security apparatus?”
Ikponwosa Ero, United Nations independent expert on human rights and albinism, said recently following a visit to Malawi that even wildlife gets more protection than people with albinism.
“Persons with albinism do not rest in peace as their remains are robbed from graveyards.
“The atrocities in Malawi render persons with albinism an endangered people group facing a risk of systemic extinction over time if nothing is done to stem the tide.”
Bonface Massah, head of the Association of People with Albinism in Malawi, said the community had seen an increase in attacks sparking concerns that not enough is being done to protect their rights.
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