Govt lax on albino killings, critics say

The resumption of attacks on Albinos this year have reenforced allegations that wichdoctors use use body parts of albino’s to make spells bring good luck and can, allegedly, be used to conjure up votes and help politicians win elections, stakeholders say.

Speaking to Political Platform on various ocassions politicians and activists urged the governemnt to step up efforts to nab the culprits and prevent more attacks to albinos from happening. The kidnaps and killings of albino have brought interntional condemnation and affected Tanzania’s image abroad.

Of late an albino toddler was kidnapped in Geita region and later found buried in a shallow grave with all his limbs cut off in a forest in Biharamulo, Kagera region. Unknown attackers broke into the house and slashed the child’s mother with machetes before snatching the one-and-half-year-old Yohana Bahati late last month.

The mother is still admitted at the Bugando hospital. A four-year-old albino girl was abducted in December a village in Mwanza region is still missing but 14 people have now been arrested. Following the abduction the government banned witchdoctors as part of a nationwide operation to clamp down on attacks on people living with albinism.

At least 75 albinos have been murdered in the country in the past 15 years. About 56 attacked albinos cheated death while 11 have were inflicted permanent injuries.

Kondo Seif Public Education official from the Under the Same Sun (UTSS) organisation, an NGO created to defend the rights of albinos in the country, says he has noted that albino attacks usually increase close or in election years.

He admits, however, that there is conclusive proof that indicate that politicians use magical spells concocted out of albino body parts, but say he has not failed to notice an increase in attacks or attempted attacks on albino in elections years.

“In fact it has been the trend since 2005 and 2010 the years that the country held General Elections,” Mr Kondo noted.

The minister of Home Affairs Mathias Chikawe has been reported saying while there are indications that albino parts are used by witchdoctors to help bring goodluck to their “clients” there is no proof that politicians are also the beneficiaries.

It is, however, well known that some politicians have a tendency of seeking the “aid” of witchdoctors in their political undertakings.

About four people were charged last week at the high cort in Mwanza over the murder of an albino woman six years ago in Geita but stakeholders say it is too little too late.

The four, who pleaded not guilty, are accused of killing the 22-year-old Zawadi Magindu at Nyamalulu village in Geita in November 2008 and cutting off her legs and one arm.

An opposition politician who hails from the Lake Zone, Samwel Ruhuza says the ban on witchdoctors was not enough and might not curtail albino killings as it happened to the boy Yohana who was kidnaped after the ban had been announced.

What is needed is for the security forces to launch a campaign to root out the witchdoctors, argued.

“It is said that even the posters announcing the services of the same witchdoctors are still lingering in streets accross the country,” Mr Ruhuza, a former NCCR-Mageuzi secretary general told the Political Platform. Prof Abdalah Safari, deputy secretary general of Chadema, Zanzibar, chided on government’s laxity to protect albinos and find attackers.

Had the governemnt launched manhunt on witchdoctors and albino attackers the same way that it conducted various operations such as the anti-poaching opertion (Operation Tokomeza) or the Operation Kimbunga that was used to take back undocumented Rwandan immigrants back to their country albino attacks could have been the thing of the past now. Both Operation Kimbunga and Tokomeza were overshadowed by human rights violations.

“It seems the government reserves the full impact of its security forces on unarmed demostrators, which is a pity,” Prof Safari noted. Operations Manager of UTSS, Gamariel Mboya says failure to nab the attackers and lack of progress in albino murder cases have served to fuel attacks can futher serve to increase attacks in future.

He said UTSS has been following up the cases with the Directorate of Public Prosecution.

“The government needs to dispel the impression that albino killers can get away with murder. Our leaders must show that they are enraged and embarrased by these wanton killings that dehumanise people with albinism,” Mr Mboya noted.

In his end of the month adress President Jakaya Kikwete says the government is determined to end the attacks.