The Association of People with Albinism in Malawi (APAM) has expressed worry over President Peter Mutharika’s silence on the attacks against persons with albinism in the country.
Speaking in an interview, APAM president Overstone Kondowe said Mutharika comments on various issues but there has been little attention on the issue of people with albinism.
“We cannot win the war without political will, and political will needs action as such we are asking the president to support us,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of the committee which was created by Mutharika to oversee issues regarding people with albinism, Kondowe said that that it is a powerless committee and it is no longer considered as one due to lack of commitment and the silence on the attacks of people with albinism.
Kondowe said this following the killing of a 12-year-old boy with albinism Joseph Kachingwe in Phalombe last week.
Kachingwe hailed from Lungazi village in the area of traditional authority Jenala in Phalombe.
He was killed by his stepfather who told police that he wanted to sell the boy’s body parts.
Meanwhile, Police have arrested five people including the boy’s mother, uncle, stepfather and two other relations in connection to Kachingwe’s death.
The issue of killings and attacks against persons with albinism continue to rise in the country due to some myths that the bones of people with albinism can make a person to become rich.
