ACTIVISTS TO MARCH AGAINST ALBINO

ACTIVISTS TO MARCH AGAINST ALBINO Lilongwe: Activists have planned to use the Africa Day commemoration on May 25 to present to parliament recommendations on how to deal with the increased abduction and killings of people with albinism. The rights organizations will march to parliament in the capital city and plan to organize district campaigns on the same day.  At a meeting convened by Citizen Alliance in Lilongwe on Wednesday, activists accused the government of not doing enough to curb the violence targeting persons with albinism. The half day national consultative meeting was aimed at mapping the way forward on the protection of people with albinism in Malawi. Persons with albinism gave moving testimonies on their experiences on how communities treat them and the fear that has engulfed them due to the attacks. Some delegates asked for   There was a general view that government is failing in its duties to protect people with albinism who continue to face abuse ranging from abduction, killings and exhumation of the bodies of those who died. A Member of Parliament, whose area has been heavily hit by the brutal acts, Esther Jolobala of Machinga East, said though a number of interventions have been initiated the government does not seem to consider this a crisis: “As a country we are not ready to help albinos. I was the one who brought the issue to Parliament, and after I moved that motion, members agreed for a draft review in the country’s laws and the draft document is now with the Ministry of Justice, we have done some follow ups. “I myself has personally met some officials there, we reached a point of setting up a task force to look into the law reviews, but up to now the task force is nowhere to be seen,” lamented Jolobala. Recommendations which ranged from law reviews, registration of all persons with albinism and review of court cases which government has lost in court will be presented to government through parliament on May 25. The march has been chosen to coincide with Africa Day as organizers say it is only in African countries where these attacks are taking place. Chairperson of Citizen Alliance, a grouping of civil society organizations and other concerned citizens advocating for the rights of people with albinism, Edward Chileka Banda said one of the key recommendations is the need for government to channel more resources to programs aimed at protecting people with albinism. “What we are saying is that departments such as the police and the army should be fully funded to ably handle cases of albino abuse. There are times when the police have failed to rescue and albinos who are attacked, while in some instances courts have delayed handling cases of albino abuse due to lack of resources. “So all we are saying is government should channel more resources to all those working towards “protecting albinos, so that they should feel part of the citizens of Malawi, said Chileka Banda. It is hoped that parliament would institute stiffer punishments for those convicted on albino attacks and killings. Updated statistics indicate 17 people have been killed in the country since attacks against people with albinism surged in Malawi last year