Apam engages Chilima for solutions

A day after Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader Lazarus Chakwera condemned attacks on persons with albinism, UTM leader Saulos Chilima on Friday engaged the group’s leadership on the way forward.

Writing on his Facebook page after the meeting, Chilima, said they discussed solutions to the resurgent attacks.

“Today [Friday] Mary and I had an interface with Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (Apam). It was a very sobering meeting where we brainstormed on some immediate and longer term solutions to the current state of affairs in Malawi for our brothers and sisters living with albinism.

“Our sharing of ideas has motivated Mary and I to do more to ensure that all Malawians, especially vulnerable and marginalised citizens like our friends living with albinism can actualise their God-given life to the fullest right here in Malawi,” he wrote. 

Apam president Overstone Kondowe yesterday   confirmed, in a telephone interview, meeting Chilima.

He said Apam has met before Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ministry of Gender, Disability, Children and Social Welfare and President Peter Mutharika, but in all these meetings, Chilima, as one part of government, was not available.

“So we decided to meet him and brief him on our plight; our message to him was twofold: Firstly, to him as a leader of a political party, he must help to condemn the attacks through his party structures. Secondly, to make these issues a priority in the manifestos,” he said.

According to Kondowe, Apam is this week scheduled to meet People’s Party (PP) president Joyce Banda on the same issue.

Since December 31 2018, when Yasin Phiri was killed in Nkhata Bay, two more people with albinism have been abducted to date.