Malawian albino woman denied houses for rent

Aug 26, 2016 Politics 115
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Albino

Miscellaneous tortures on people living with albinism in Malawi are failing to cease with a recent one seeing a lady living with albinism denied houses for rent as the owners fear of becoming prime suspects should she be attacked.

A 30 year old woman with albinism in Mzuzu is destitute as she cannot find a house to rent in the city’s locations because landlords fear they would be in trouble with authorities as they would be the first suspects should anything bad happen to the woman.

The woman, Constance Msiska, who hails from Group Village Headman Khoza in the area of Traditional Authority Mankhambela in Nkhata Bay District, found herself destitute after the house she was renting in Chiputula collapsed due to the floods that occurred in April, this year.

Since then, the hunt for a house to rent has been a hassle for her life.

Albinos MalawiShe has, for the past three months, been accommodated at Lujeso Community Based Organization [CBO]’s offices in Chiputula Township in the city.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana), Msiska, who is a small scale business woman, said since the house she was renting collapsed due to the floods that affected the city, she has struggled to find another house to rent as landlords are not willing to rent their houses to her.

“I found two houses, but when the owners discovered that I am an albino they said no, fearing that if anything [bad] happens to me, they might be the suspects,” she said.

She said this has made life for her and her two children difficult, as they were accommodated at Lujeso Community Based organization.

However, two days ago, she occupied a house in the same location (Chiputula) without the knowledge of the owner because the CBO leadership had asked her to vacate, saying her stay in the office had affected operations.

“I am told yesterday [Tuesday] that the landlord came at my house, but he did not meet me so I don’t know what he will tell me,” she said sounding worried.

When asked why not just go to her home village, she said she can’t go because the houses are sparsely apart in her village which is a security threat to her.

Msiska, a mother of three, whose husband is serving a custodial sentence at Mzuzu Prison, survives on earnings from the small business she plies in the city.

Lujeso CBO Executive Director, Solister Kasambala, said Msiska has been one of the CBO’s beneficiaries because of her condition and when she appeared homeless three months ago, she was given their office to occupy till she finds another house to rent.

Albino
Albinos hunted in Malawi. .(Google images)

“However, for the past three months, we have been helping her to look for a house but could not get one because landlords expressed fear over having her as their tenant.

“They argue that it is risky to have an albino tenant because if anything bad happens, they will be the first to be suspected,” explained Kasambala.

He said the CBO offered her accommodation as a relief intervention, but not a permanent solution.

Kasambala, however, said even though the CBO can no longer house Msiska, if well-wishers could help her acquire land, they [the CBO] could source a donor to build her a decent house.

Of late, the country has experienced abductions and killings of people with albinism, a development Kasambala suspects is the reason why most landlords fear to house a person with albinism.

When contacted, President of Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (APAM), Overton Kondowe, described the development as unfortunate.

He partly blamed the way messages against the killings and abductions of people with albinism are framed, saying it fuels stigma and discrimination against the said minority group.

He gave the example of police awareness campaigns he said had listened to with the message which says ‘anyone who is close to a person with albinism will be the first suspect if anything happens to them’.

Kondowe said such messages fuel stigma and discrimination, no wonder people are afraid to be close to people with albinism.

According to Kondowe, there is need for communication experts to properly craft messages to be disseminated on the rights of people with albinism.

He joked that one of his good friends told him he would stop picking him up, fearing if anything bad happens he would be the first suspect.-Mana

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115 Comments

  5. Wachita bwino komanso mbali ina sanachite bwino,akamulora then iyeyo ndikuwuudza amfumu kuti pa plot panga pali nzathu wachialibon so tetedza bwanji tonse pamodzi

  8. Pano albino sinzathu, ngati ukufuna kumangidwa zicheza naye. Vuto ndiloti akangofuula ndiye kuti zako zada olo atakhala kuti olakwa ndi iyeyo. Just imagine wampeza akuba kapena ali ndi mkazi wako mnyumba, then chongokuona iye ndikufuula kuti ‘akundipha kuno!!!’ Anthu ndikubwela, mukuganiza kuti anthuwo akhulupilira ndani?

  13. This landlord has to be taken to court for what he has done bcoz. He has violated. Some of this woman’s rights.CSOs where. R. U?

  14. Mediocrity at its peak.logically that means the house owners are on the go looking for their own albino to chop dead so they know if that lady goes obliterating from their neighborhood,then they are straight main suspects.so they want to be saved by distance.arrest them before they chop one

  22. mutu wanga wakanika kundiuza chonena but from my brain child i think they got all the right to rent or to own a house they are the citizens of this counry just as we are.vuto anthu amadziwa kuti omwe akupanga mchitidwe oipa ndi akuti koma sabwera poyera kulidziwitsa dziko zoterezi zikamachitika

  25. Nkhani zapakhomo izi osati mu news.Choking a chanu chinali chani polemba nkhani zopanda pake ngati izi? Next time tiuzeni zaphindu osati ena akanizidwa nyumba apa.zaonekela zizithela kumakwalala konko.

  26. why,why,why Malawi why iiiiiiiii hiiii hiiiii hiiiiiii m’fuuu m ‘fuuuuu !!!!.I cry ,crying for people with salbnsm.

  29. Mmmmn this is tricky however we must love them they are human being like us pleas land lord think twice,we need to love each love does not fear,

  31. Theres no way now to malawi to says is the warm heart of Africa plz malawi government put ths case on top deal with any of ppls attacking albino or parents sty with remember they are humans being like anyone else

  39. Ophanzake aphedwe basi palibe kunyengelera Chifukwa boma palibelikuchitapo chanzelu pothandiza albino munthu kupezeka ndi mafupa amunthu kaya ndi albino kaya ayi palibechifuiwanso chomusungira ndi moyo aphedwe basi apazikuoneseratu kuti business imeneyi yokupha albinoyi ikuchitika mogwilizanandi boma LA Malawi mosogozedwa ndi muthalika chifukwaizi sizovutakuzithesa kwa nsogoleli waziko iyi ndiyentundu wa Malawi upangapo kanthu

  41. If she us around lilongwe contact me I will give her house to rent in Area 23 pazigayo ubwino wako I don’t stay there just make ur payment through my bank account or wattsap me on 0027 746979533 I really feel sorry for my albinos brothers n ccters. ..alibe ufulu mudziko lawo lomwe esh ….may GOD almighty protect them AMEEN..

  45. Oky Guys, I have reading all of the comments but I can see that some of the comments are Useless and disrespecting , let me tell you something new, from today take note that Albinos are the people like u and me, they do feel painful, hunger, illnesses and many more, they are not people from outside countries No ! By no any aspects u can manage to have a baby with Albinoism body. So let us showing them big and Good love …….. ….. We can marry them, we can working together with them because we are all human beings. So all of you who supporting the Landlord somewhere in u , there is a problem. Stop kiling them , stop Disrespecting them . Let us showing them Love all the times !!!!!! Thanks am ur fellow Malawian : EVANCE MAZANGO PHILIH…….. R S A .

  46. Landlord sanalakwe,aliyense ali ndi mantha kuwayandikira kuopa to be a suspect…nkhaniyi ndiyaikulu mmene zafikiramu. Or ngat ine,sindingayambe naye conversation dala. But its not a saggregation koma kuopa.I rest my case

  47. Landlord sanalakwitse kuopa mawa..zinthu sizili bwino panopa olo kut ticheze nawo anzathuwa zikupatsa mantha kuopa kut azfunsa kut anamalizira kucheza ndi ndani? Ine maganizo anga ndimaona ngat akanawapangira malo awo otetezedwa coz nawonso ndi anthu ngat ife tomwe….akuenera kuwayang’anira mokwanira…

  52. so sad,,,where is Malawi wa chikondi cha wina ndi zake uja?

  54. I think the government must try something for them. I stand with private land lord for not letting them stay @ thier houses. Africa plz lets accept albinos to oir society

  56. I think the landlord is right kupewa is gud,Government must organise a place for people living with albinism for they safety,

    2. Thanks chief Zuma but u don’t know what i mean,A lot of innocent pipo are in prison for no reason, if anything happens to that woman the landlord will be the first suspect, but if government can organise a place for them ,much better coz they will be well protected

    6. Brenda Kachala ,osadandaula dziko ndi chocho, we don’t even know each other, ine sikuti ndikudana nao anthuwa ai, koma landlord sikuti angawateteze ai,so if anything happens nde kuti landlord akayankhapo mafunso ku police

    8. No way, albino ndi munthu, she/he does need to be discriminated against. Nanga iwo azikakhala kuti mukawakaniza manyumba anu? all you can do to protect them is to inform the police so they can keep an eye , in that way the landlord would be safe

    1. If you are man just know that one day you will be in prison even without the case to answer. You have 95% possibility to be in prison without any wrong doing

    2. but not for the case of albinoz bro…and i dont fear jail becoz am also living in the same life.being a man doesnt mean you are prisoner thats a pure lie bro…u must exepect not me.

  60. Let me concouring the one in supporting the landloard.if happen that the albino woman faces abduction,the house owner will be answereble,to avoid that ,let the house owner defend it today.we have pple in custody today,but they are innocent.bravo landloard.

  61. Mmm kupewa kuposa kuchiza, ma landlord anzeru, albino athe miyezi iwili osalipila, pokalonjelela mkangano buuu…! akatelo amvekele undidziwaso, hiii! ndani akasewezeyo? kkkkk komabe try to balance the equation, nalo boma litha kumvetsetsa root ya phokoso lonse

  62. What Government kodi? m’mesa m’mati boma ndi anthu…we should protect them ourselves after all we are all humans…i think what the landlord would’ve have done was to let them rent the place but inform the police that way the police will keep an eye on them as to safeguard them…osati mpaka kuwakaniza ma nyumba akusowa abale kumakhala ndi chisoni

  71. Zoona zimenezo landlord alibe vuto. Vuto ndi boma lathhuli lilibe ukadaulo pofufuza nkhani ndichifukwa chake pali anthu ambiri kundendeko amene sanalakwe koma akugwira ukaidi.

  74. Nanga Landlord aziopa kulonjelera ya rent kuopa kuti akakumbutsa akamunenera kuti akufuna kumupha? landlord wa nzeru. big up!

  76. Koma sambitu zimene zikuchitikazi, nde kuti ma Albino wa sazikhala ndi ufulu wochita zinthu m’dziko lawo ? Pamenepa Landlord walakwa pokana mzimaiu , a2watu azikhala ndi nkhawa Guys. Ine ndikupempha Mulungu mwini Chisomo chosatha kuti awaikize mmanja mwake. Amen !!

    3. We need to know that these pple are not related. Albinos are pple like us. But when come to stay rather stay with family. For their own safety. Landlord wil never make it to check every time if she is ok. Goverment need to relook on this matter. Pity the poor woman wil feel discrimination. But because of what Malawi is now. She need to understand.

    4. You are all stupid here.u knw why? If woman wont get a plce. To stay she will be rming around. The street that makes.this case for her more complicated. For a expimple if she stay close. To pple she will be more self. If u wait for gvrment to hellp. Than more will get killed. U can do something buy hellping then get a place To stay. But here u are all waiting for govrment to hellp. How long are u gona wait.?

    5. Dunken watch yo tongue. We are not stupid like u. If the ladie goes missing since these pple are not related, who is going to be in trouble. In streets she is safe. But at night thats were the problem is. If u are not stupid why not accomodate her. These pple are on high demand. If she goes missing on my property i wil be the prime suspect. So rather to avoid it, than sorry later. I dont know if u are aware that these pple they have more right than us. She need her family close to her.

    7. @Junior its Drunken not Dunken kikik. Pice=peace, hellping=helping kikkk. Back to school my Drunken master. Chizungu chinazungulira kubwera ndi Ilala. If u dont know just eat shut up

    8. No way, albino ndi munthu, she/he does need to be discriminated against. Nanga iwo azikakhala kuti mukawakaniza manyumba anu? Not all albinoes have direct reliable relatives and some even families of their own. All you can do to protect them is to inform the police beforehand so they can keep an eye , in that way the landlord too would be safe

    9. To say is easy than to do. When they is a break in on the property the prime suspect is the guard. I understand they feel discriminated. And u need to understand that no one want to be in trouble if she/he goes missing. If the goverment fail to protect them. And expect the ordinary pple to take responsiblity. This is a sensetive matter. Its not that we hate them. But fear of our lives as well. Why not do it to give example? Longtime ago we use to stay with them, but the evil activities happen around is the issue here.

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