Geita albino Confederation Chairman Michael Kamuli gets emotional during an interview with a journalist on the government's effort to end the albino killings in the country.
By Mwassa Jingi
Posted Sunday, March 15 2015 at 13:34
Posted Sunday, March 15 2015 at 13:34
IN SUMMARY
Tragically, this right is now not enjoyed by albinos in the country after an emergence of some of the Tanzanians, who are hunting people with albinism and either chop off parts of their bodies and thus cause their grisly deaths or rather kill them first and then take the body parts for purely baseless grounds associated with superstition.
The right to life is a constitutional right of every person in the world and such it is provided for in Article 14 of The Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, 1977.
Tragically, this right is now not enjoyed by albinos in the country after an emergence of some of the Tanzanians, who are hunting people with albinism and either chop off parts of their bodies and thus cause their grisly deaths or rather kill them first and then take the body parts for purely baseless grounds associated with superstition.
Since this social phenomenon emerged in 2006, we are told at least 76 people with albinism have been killed countrywide. Most of the killings so far have occurred in the Lake Zone.
The killings of albinos has tainted the image of Tanzania and we are now viewed as a nation that largely banks on superstition for material or political expediency in this 21st century.
Government agencies, non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations and the international community not only have been condemning these grisly and barbaric killings of albinos, but have been trying to protect their lives without much success so far.
While only one year of 2011 since 2006 no albino killing was recorded, the situation has recently recurred, whereby within one or two months, two children with albinism have been abducted - one being found dead, while the other still missing.
This is a very disgusting situation! It is difficult to believe that a human being of normal intelligence can easily be convinced that part of an albino’s body can make him or her rich! This state of affairs makes Tanzania a country of strange people, since albinos are in many other countries, but hardly do we hear what we hear and see happening in this country.
It’s illogical to believe that some parts of an albino’s body can help somebody to get riches or be successful in life, while we see and know that albinos themselves are among the poorest people in Tanzania. If an albino’s body is associated with any good omen as the albino killers believe, then the albinos themselves would have been people of everything in life. But that story is not true.
We need public awareness campaigns to change these filthy beliefs and inculcate in those who believe it a new spirit – conversion. If we continue taking by granted this situation, these barbaric guys will continue hunting for albinos and killing them.
Recently, when addressing the nation, President Jakaya Kikwete was so much annoyed with the killings of albinos and after the meeting with the albino community on March 5, at State house, he pledged that he would do everything to stop these barbaric killings of albinos.
I compassionately support the president in the fight against albino killings and urge him and the entire government to use all arsenals at their disposal to get away with this disgraceful situation facing our nation for a numbers of years now.
Whatever the government did in the past to deal with the culprits is not enough and I think more concerted efforts are needed now to protect our fellow Tanzanians - people with albinism because like any human being they deserve to live and enjoy life in its fullness.(Source:The citizen)
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