The Malawian government has proposed that the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) should join hands in the fight against crimes directed at people with albinism. Minister responsible for Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Jean Kalilani, made the statement after presiding over a press briefing about the International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) which fall on the 13th of June every year.
“It is important to realize that these attacks started occuring in Tanzania and subsequently spilled over to Malawi. But now we are starting to see these attacks again in Mozambique,” said Kalilani. She also said it is important for leaders in the SADC block to map a unified approach. “Stakeholders spearheading the fight against these crimes in Malawi have raised concerns on the importance of bringing the issue to the attention of SADC so that at the end of the day, the SADC block establishes a joint approach against these crimes,” said Kalilani.
The minister said government is aware of some continuous discriminatory and violent acts, reported exhumation of human remains (cadavers) and demeaning acts on persons with albinism. Kalilani however said since the initial attacks started in Malawi over two years ago, the country has seen a remarkable improvement on protecting lives of people with albinism.
