Peter Mutharika talks tough on albino attacks
By Yohane Symon:
President Peter Mutharika Sunday described as stupid and barbaric the killing of people with albinism.
The latest killing of a person with albinism happened on December 31 2018 in Nkhata Bay District, where unknown people murdered 54-year-old Yasin Phiri.
Speaking during the launch of Chiwanja cha Ayao at Mangochi Turn Off, Mutharika said his government will no longer tolerate people who kill people with albinism.
He said, since the attacks started, there is no single person who has become rich by using charms made from body parts of persons with albinism.
“I want to say it here that we should stop attacking our friends with albinism. This must stop. It is ignorance to think that you can get rich if you have a body part of a person living with albinism. We have over 10 albinos that have been killed in this country and how many of those killers have become rich?
Advertisement“Let us stop such childish and barbaric thinking,” he said.
Mutharika said the government is doing enough to end cases of attacks on people with albinism.
He said those found guilty of attacking persons with albinism would be jailed for life.
He said he has instructed Malawi Police Service, through Inspector General [Rodney Jose], to put in place strict measures leading to the arrest of those who hire people to kill persons with albinism.
Mutharika said his government has done a lot to protect persons with albinism by, among other things, constructing for them strong houses in Nsanje and Chikwawa districts as well as forming a taskforce to come up with best ways of protecting people with albinism.
“But my plea is that it is very sad that there are some people who are politicising the killings of people with albinism, blaming the government for that. This is a tragedy; people are being killed and, please for once, let us stop politicising everything in this country. I think this is stupid and let us work together to solve this issue,” Mutharika said.
Speaking during the launch of Chiwanja cha Ayao, Mutharika hailed the Yao people for contributing to the country’s national development.
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