APM warns against politicising albino kilings
President Peter Mutharika on Friday warned politicians against using the killing of people with albinism to score political points.
In a statement signed by presidential spokesperson Mgeme Kalirani, Mutharika said instead of joining forces with government, traditional leaders, the clergy and communities to stop the crimes being perpetrated against people with albinism, some political leaders have chosen to use the attacks and murders of people with albinism to score cheap political gains.
“It is immoral for any political leader to sink so low and use the suffering of our brothers and sisters with albinism for political gain. The President is calling upon all political leaders to desist forthwith from politicising killings of people with albinism,” reads the statement in part, in direct reference to what the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader Lazarus Chakwera said on Thursday that once elected he would end the abductions and killings within a month.
The President said people with albinism should look out for power-hungry politicians that are bent on using their plight for political gains.
Meanwhile, police on Friday apprehended four people in connection with the missing of a 14-year boy with albinism in Dedza district.
The boy, Goodson Makanjira from Mphanyama Village in Traditional Authority Chilikumwendo is feared to have been abducted by unknown people some three days ago.
on Friday rumour was rife that the body of the boy had been uncovered in the area where he was abducted but National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera in an interview dismissed the reports as unverified.
Instead Kadadzera explained that the law enforcers are questioning the four suspects who, he said, were giving some leads.
However, the police publicist refused to reveal identities of the suspects for fear of jeopardising investigations and could also not disclose where the suspects were picked up.
Said Kadadzera: “Our investigations are connecting them
[suspects]to having disappearance and we are questioning them and they are giving us some leads.”knowledge of the boy’s
In a telephone interview on Fri
“Before the attack, the assailants caused mayhem in a nearby village and other villagers were wounded in the process. We believe this was done just to create confusion so that they could easily carry out their mission,” the chief said.
According to the chief the boy tried to fight back before he was taken away adding that his grandmother was also wounded and left unconscious in the fight.
So far, three people with albinism have been abducted in the country this year alone and one of them, Yasin Phiri of Nkhata Bay, was killed on January 1.
Since 2014, the number of reported crimes against people with albinism has risen to 152, including 25 murders and more than 10 people reported missing, according to the Association of People with Albinism (Apam).
