By Vincent Gunde
The Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi [APAM] has called upon the general public across the country to strengthen protection of persons with albinism in Malawi challenging the Government of Malawi to expose the markets for body parts of persons with albinism that are driving the attacks against the marginalized group.
The APAM has called upon the Malawi Police Service [MPS] to ensure that the suspects are arrested immediately to face the long arm of the law and that they should train more investigators so that there is a speedy trial of cases involving persons with albinism.
The organization says a total of two solid years after court heard of the case and suspects convicted, judgement is still pending which is stifling justice for persons with albinism.
In the statement signed by its President, Young Muhamba, the APAM has called upon the Ministry of Justice to speed up trial of cases involving persons with albinism expressing fears that cases are taking too long to be concluded and judgement delivery is also delaying citing McDonald Masambuka’s case.
The APAM says it is deeply disturbed by the continued attacks against persons with albinism in Malawi saying on 25th April, 2022, it learnt with shock the exhumation of the body of late Petro Gadson of Gugumiya village in the area of Traditional Authority Mlolo in Nsanje district.
Petro Gadson died of skin cancer at the age of 23 and was buried in the village to provide security to his remains, saying the grave was also made with concrete to prevent unscrupulous people from tampering with it, saying his grave was tampered with on the night between 24th and 25th April, 2022.
The criminal gangs tried to chisel the concrete in order to remove the body parts but to no avail, despite burying the victim within the village, the criminals found their way to tamper with the grave suspecting some of the village members might be involved in the syndicate.
…..’’It happened 5 weeks after APAM experienced other cases of attacks which involved exhumation of the body of late Davison Chimombo on 15th March, 2020 and attempted abduction of Manuel Davie on 14th March, 2022, both in Blantyre district,’’…..reads the statement in part.
The APAM says these deplorable incidents are pointing to pure grave human rights violations against persons with albinism, and should never be tolerated in this area calling for constitutional security in the remote areas.
The organization says it is very unfortunate to learn that no police officer was ever spotted in the community for patrol, yet APAM and the general public are being misinformed that there is police patrol at all levels in Malawi.
