By Thula Chisamba
Unscrupulous media outlets report how much money an abductor earns through selling body parts of people with albinism.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Malawi Star, executive director for the Association of People with Albinism in Malawi (APAM), Bornface Masa, said albino predators are sometimes fueled by unprofessional reporting.
“You read some publications and become surprised with how unprofessional they report on such a sensitive issue. To most of us, it becomes unreasonable when a media house publishes how much bones of albinos cost on the evil market. That likely motivates others to join the business,” complained Masa.
It has also been observed that these unprofessional mass communicators, go beyond publishing markets where thugs vend albino body parts.
But to Masa, this is too motivating to the would be albino predators, who would not hesitate but to join the trade; consequently the malpractice lives on.
“I should believe that most of Malawian journalists went to college where they learnt about ethics and the likes. I then urge them to practice mature journalism and not publish things that will only worsen the situation,” he added.
Of late, local and international media have been awash with reports on the abduction and torture of people with albinism.
Recently, this publication published an article which enlightened Malawians that albino hunters spread to the central part of the country.
When writing this paper, the Malawi Police Service in Kasungu district confirmed that bones of an albino baby who was murdered recently have been found and two suspected predators have been apprehended.
In line with such reporting, Masa, hailed other professional media houses for publishing articles that have made the world aware on how albinos are suffering in Malawi.
“That is now good reporting. As reporters you need to be judging your articles before sending them to editors for publication,” added Masa.
Forget not that a responsible media outlet reports as it is, figures or no figures let’s try to civic educate each other on the evils of this barbaric acts. Our Justice system is mostly to blame how dare can a court go so low en sentence an intended murderer to 17 years IHL en call it stiffer penalty? Dont we have Life Sentences in this country? Yes courts are guided by jurisdiction and Sentencing guide lines , if that wat the case then the issue would have referred to another court wit a higher jurisdiction. This issue requires The Malawi Law Commission, Parliament, Min of Justice, Judiciary to revisit the penal code so as to bring out stiffer penalties to would b offenders not this 17 years IHL Joke.
Thats very bad kumachita kutchula mtengo zoona God must punish those heartless pipo if at all they are humans i dont know wat i can call them
man life given price on market ? is this wise ? hope we have lost drive as humans and most the crazy reporter who write on dedza to dowa news .
am in total agreement with Thula coz some ill minded fellows get attracted with the mentioned amounts of money. gud example being a certain fb comment on the Dowa case which read like this ” gentlemen, 1 billion kwacha? then i can kill for sure” look!
Pamenepo nde kuti chiwanda chinamulowa kale
Its a shame that pipo now have stopped respecting a human body and ratha jst see money.
is this media institution known by government and if yes what does the government doing because this is inhuman and very bad. police should investigate
Not good at all
I think it doesnt make sense for Mr Bornface Masa to attack journalists by calling them unproffessional bla bla bla…. The question must be; Where do those journalists source that information? Cant the APAM in conjuction with government follow those reporters and take a step with them because they have a possibility to help in tracing those who are enganged in that business.
Brother, it makes sense. Listen, the media reports how an albino is valued in terms of money, that alone, the amount of money mentioned, makes these predators to look at albinos as some hot commodity
MC Elias Yairo Its true that people can be influenced by mentioning market prices of those deals, What i disagree is for someone to call the journalists as unproffessional before thinking on how do they source that information,,, Utsi sufuka popanda moto, nzotheka kuti atapanga follow bwinobwino those reporters they can be able to help in tracing parties involved.
The price was a lie. Nowhere in the world anything is priced at that price !!!!!
Jabu you seem to know something, enlight people on the prices of world’s most highly paying illegal businesses.
I agree with Mr Masa, reporting on brutal murders of people with albinism then putting the price they are valued at is equally making people to look at persons with albinism as some best selling commodity and not people. Certain things are better left unsaid.
Any sin goes with punishment, he doesn’ t watch us from a distance. Alipompano ambuyeeee yesuuu!!!.
APAM’s contacts for a stronger united trumpeting force against the evil practices. United we stand Malawians . Let us not wait for a second UN Expert Visit. God can not leave Albino predators unrebuked. NEVER!!!
This Sucks,,
if it would ‘ve been in Saud Arabia we could use Shalia law against albino predators but coz it’s in dis corrupt country they ‘ll still exist and continue with ths malpractice
The killers are not the only wrongdoers in this matter. The fact that there is a market is a sympton of a very sick society. For every child body there are potentially 270 buyers, thus being the amount of bones in a child body. With the killer/trader that involves potentially 271 perpetrators per child body. 7 Suspects were burnt alive at Nsanje by a mob. The number of people involved in killing 7 people in such a brutal way is unknown. The chances are good that you are passing perpetrators somewhere along the streets, working with them or even accommodating them in your home. I do not think that reporting any of the facts pertaining to this makabre practice can be irresponsible. The more factual information being published the better the chances of identifying perpetrators.
signs of the time are now clear
Poti amayambitsa ndi anthu amu Boma momo olo mutawagwira aziwathawitsabe akulu akulu abomawo. But one day is one day God will surely punish u
Yes!
When gays were arrested by Bingu the UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon visited Malawi for their release. Today albinals are dying the UN is ziiiii!