Police engages traditional healers in curbing violence against people with albinism
The Malawi Police Service has embarked on a drive to engage traditional healers in the country in an effort to work with them in a quest to curb cases of violence against people with albinism.
Last week, the office of community policing in coordination with Mwanza Police Station organised an interface meeting with traditional healers in Mwanza district to source views on how best cases of violence against people with albinism can be curbed.
Mwanza Police Station Publicist, Edwin Kaunda, told Nyasa Times that the meeting was attended by traditional healers in the district in the presence of Inkosi Kanduku.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Commissioner of Police responsible for Community Policing Services, Aubrey Nyirenda, told the traditional healers that the country has in the past few years experienced a number of cases of violence against people with albinism where some people have been found with body parts of people with albinism.
“Most of those that were arrested said they were told by traditional healers that they will get rich if they get body parts of people with albinism. We therefore would like traditional healers to work with the police so that such cases are prevented,” explained Nyirenda.
On their part, the traditional healers said they work to help people with traditional medicines to heal various diseases that they suffer but not to give them charms to get rich. They promised to work with the police in order to curb the vice by reporting anyone who consults them on issues related to getting rich at the expense of lives of people with albinism.
Inkosi Kanduku thanked the police for organising the meeting.
“This meeting was very important. As people of Mwanza, we will support the police so that Mwanza does not experience any case of violence against people with albinism. I urge all traditional healers in the district to walk their talk by being more vigilant in this particular fight,” remarked Kanduku.
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