By: Raphael Likaka
Deputy Inspector General of police Merilyn Yolamu has urged persons with albinism to refrain from moving during the night or going to drinking joints alone without escort.
Yolamu was speaking in Liwonde, Machinga at a sensitization on the evils of killing people with albinism.
She asked the people of the mentioned districts to take charge of the security of the people with albinism. She also asked the people with albinism to refrain from moving during the night or being in dangerous places alone for personal security.
“I should ask people with albinism to refrain from visiting drinking joints alone without escort as this is putting their security at risk,” said Yolamu.
She, however, thanked the government for giving Malawi Police Service finances to help them in the fight against killing people with albinism through the 2021-2022 action plan.
Yolamu cited section 16 of the Constitution in the emphasis to right to life and asked chiefs and the community to respect the Constitution by upholding this right to life to everyone including people with albinism.
Machinga District is the most hit with the killing of people with albinism in the country hence the choice for police sensitization being conducted there.
Mernardi Zacharia, acting chairperson for Association of People with Albinism (APAM) was in agreement with what Yolamu said about the security of people with albinism where they need to start by taking caution.
Zacharia asked government to speed up the construction of strong houses for people with albinism.
He said there has been no incident reported so far in this month of March and he is optimistic that by the end of 2021-2022 national budget, houses for people with albinism will have finished and they are being habited.
Zacharia was not happy with the allocation of the money to be used for people with albinism.
He said: “In the previous budget, we had 300 million but this budget the money has been reduced to 200 million. This will make the operations to dwindle,” said Zacharia.
During the function, tnm super league outfit Blue Eagles Football Club played Liwonde Select Football Club and Blue Eagles won by two goals to one.
