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Albino murders spread to Lilongwe; bones prized for wealth charms

April 26, 2016 The Malawi Star Crime, National, Opinion 112

By: Wonderful Mkhutche

Albinos: prized for their bones
Albinos: prized for their bones

Another innocent life brutally murdered in Dowa. Her only crime was that she was born with albinism. A twenty one year old woman, Enelesi Nkhata, who was living with her grandmother in Dedza, was taken from home by her uncle, Gerald Phiri, 38, to Dowa. It has been reported that the uncle lied to the grandmother that he would find a job and sunscreen lotion for her in Dowa.

But he had other sinister plans. The uncle, just like several others, had come to believe that the bones of a person born with albinism can be used for wealth charms. Phiri conspired with nine other people to have the girl in Dowa. They had found the market for the bones in Lilongwe, through one of the suspected killers. But the business did not materialize.

The dead girl was discovered by neighbors. They had seen him at his house with the girl for a week before she went missing. They suspected something wrong and they reported the matter to the police. They questioned the uncle until he revealed that the girl was killed for her bones. He led them to where the body was buried and gave the names of all his accomplices. They have all been arrested.

It sounds like fiction. But that brutality is real. The young innocent woman was probably happy and relieved that the uncle had indeed come with good news to her troubled life. She looked at him as God sent, coming all the way from Dowa just to get her for the job and sunscreen. The grandmother as well easily trusted the uncle because he was one of their own and probably never thought of him doing her any harm.

But they were all wrong. The same man they thought had come to help ended up being the one to end the life of one of their own. For the record, this is the second ritual abduction and killing in Dowa in a space of three weeks. After happening in Machinga for the past year, it seems the activity is moving into the central region. Within the month, a two year child born with albinism was abducted and killed as well in Kasungu. For the Dowa case, the businessman who was to buy the bones is from Lilongwe.

And that is where the danger is. When I wrote previously that xenophobic violence related to these abductions and killings are coming, just as it happened in Lusaka, Zambia, most people reacted that the message was inciting violence. Another person threatened me with a court summon if the article was not withdrawn. And one even said it cannot happen in Malawi because we are a “God fearing nation.” But the same person is failing to reason that in the same God fearing nation, people are abducting and killing each other for money. What can fail the xenophobic attacks?

That is the very aim of this piece, to raise awareness of the danger that is coming upon us. Lilongwe is a complicated place where matters can easily escalate. It is the center of everything in Malawi since it is the capital city. This is the first connection Lilongwe has to the abduction and killings of people with albinism, and we must all get worried.

People of every kind of life, emotions, intolerance, among others, are found in this city. There may have been mild reactions in Machinga and Kasungu from the general public on the abductions and the killings. But make no mistake; Lilongwe is a different place. Should something connected to this issue happen again, the emotions will easily boil up and the reaction from the general public will be something Malawi would never have imagined.

The media may not have revealed who the businessman is who contracted to buy these bones, but eventually someone will reveal his name. They will get to know everything. The real danger is that Lilongwe is the city that hosts a good number of foreigners. With most people already having the opinion that these people are taking our wealth, and with the first Dowa ritual killing which involved a foreigner from East Africa, the ones in Lilongwe will be the main suspects.

People will start looking at the wealth they have as coming from the ritual killings. And we must expect more cases from the city now. The fact that a Lilongwe businessman wanted the bones from Dowa, it tells that some businessmen in Lilongwe, who believe in the charms, will not take the risk of having the killing done somewhere far. They will start hunting right from the city.

This is a warning to all the concerned authorities. They are working hard to have this eradicated among us. But they should do more. The evil seems to be spreading. The police are the heroes of the situation. They are doing a commendable job. But they are being betrayed by the courts and the government as a whole. The Civil Society Organizations as well are not finding creative ways of dealing with the issue.

Let me give them an idea: They can use the trial of these arrested ten people, caught red-handed in the act, as the point of action. Gathering at every court appearance with placards showing how much tired they are with the situation, making all the kind of noise they can, asking the courts for stiff sentences, will take the addressing of the issue to a new positive direction. With it they can easily raise the conscious of the nation against this evil. People born with albinism need to see that we are being there for them.

And the appeal is for people to face the reality. Continue to look at Malawi as an innocent God fearing nation, and that this issue will not escalate matters, will not help. All along, it has not been given the attention it deserves. People think it will end by itself. But as days go by, new cases are surfacing, and the practice keeps growing before our very own eyes.

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111 Comments on Albino murders spread to Lilongwe; bones prized for wealth charms

  3. UN HR expert will record this as a red-handed information of the torture, brutality targeting the person with albinism. May God have mercy for all of us please. we are all equal, human beings and we all need to enjoy our inherent right to peaceful living regardless of our differences by birth.

  17. vuto apa ndi boma. anthuwa akagwidwa constitution ikukhala chete. ine ndinkayembeza bill yokhuza abalewa ku parliament. action speaks louder. bwana President kwayankhula afitiwa sakumvai. bola mukanamangochita osayankhula. ife tikudabwa kuti boma ma court akutenga nkhanizi ngati milandu yokuba mafuwa pamoto. wake up MG plz…..

  29. This is not the real picture for the deceased, i suggest. However, this ritualistic crime has become viral and we’re crying day and night for brutal deaths of albinos. We expect protection from within the families of these people, sad to learn poachers trading within. My fellow Malawians assist police officers with information that will lead to arrest of these criminals, please!

  33. Mwalemba mofoila kwambiri ife tili konkuno ku Madisi kunachitika nkhaniyo , tikuidziwa bwino kwambiri ikumakambidwa daily mmabar , mmisika ndi pena paliponse , ndinso munthu anagulitsa mwanayo takhala naye tamwanso naye mowa . Koma zomwe mwalemba apa zaonetsa kuti simkudziwapo kanthu pa nkhaniyi , mkanayamba mwafunsa aniwake tukhala pa Madisi pano komwe nkhaniyi inachitikira kaa !

    • ati kumachita kumanyadila kuti ndikumamwa naye munthu anapanga zimenezi,munthu oipa ngati ameneyi chifukwa anthu mukudziwa osamupeleka lamulo ligwile ntchito naye bwanji.mboni ndiinu nomwe mudziwa bwino zankhaniyi osamangoyankhula kuti mumveke olo muoneke odziwa nkhanizi zatopetsa anthu akupanga ntchitidwe wa nkhazau afunika adzilangidwa mosayang’ana nkhope

  47. If the habit go on like the way it is; 1 day we wil experience the Lusaka saga. We cannot let the foreigners kill our brothers and sisters for their benefit. We wont accept that until we take these culpurits to hell and set our country. It seems there is less effort from the gvt to end the malpractise bcoz we hear more stories but no stif punishment set

  55. Stop publising this albino stories the more you tell the world the more the understanding and knowledge of what albino can do to make them rich . Let us silently look after albinos and punish all this brutality act

  85. Malawi thats why we r poorer we search short cuts for wealthy why? Getin rich its amatter of hard workin not hard hearted to the extent of kilin innocent souls?ma malawi ma tears,thats why we hear famine failing to choose right leaders every thing complicated we r been cursed right here on earth ma malawi ma tears. #koma olemerawo mudakawafunsa.rest in peace ma dear!

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