The Machinga district council in conjunction with the police and World Vision International are conducting awareness campaigns on child protection in the district.
The campaigns are being conducted in six traditional authorities of Machinga district with the aim of reducing cases of abductions and killings of people with albinism as well as tampering with albino graveyards with the aim of getting bones of deceased albino.
Speaking to this publication, district commissioner for Machinga district Reighard Chavula said the meetings are being conducted following the increase in rape cases and albino killings.
“The behaviours are so inhuman and senior officers in different departments are concerned with the malpractice that is why we are conducting the awareness campaign on child protection.
“We are so concerned with how the rights of these people are being violated and we ask the communities to be informants of police so that those involved in the malpractices can be apprehended and face the law,” she added.
In his remarks, World Vision’s Henry Machemba said the organisation is ready to support any programme which aims at protecting lives of albinos. Machinga police publicist Davie Sulumba commended the development saying it will strengthen security in the district and Malawi as a whole.
“We believe people will work solidly with the police and tip them on any suspicious behaviour, and we encourage community policing personnel to conduct patrols,” Sulumba said.
The sensitisation campaigns follow the increase of albino attacks in the district, highlighted by the case of a nine year-old albino boy who was abducted from his parents’ home and later killed.
