With 70 albinos being killed in Tanzania in the past three years — and only 10 murderers being brought to justice — officials have decided to put a ban on all witchdoctors in the East African country as a way to stop the targeting of albinos, reports the BBC.
SEE ALSO: Tanzania’s Witch Problem: 7 Burned Alive This Week, 500 Killed Annually
Keep Up With Face2Face Africa On Facebook!
There are reportedly 33,000 albinos in Tanzania, and in recent years, the often stigmatized group have been reportedly targeted by witchdoctors who think their body parts provide wealth and good luck.
The body parts of albino people are said to fetch up to £50,000 in parts of deeply superstitious Tanzania where they are used to make potions and sold as lucky charms.
Most recently, a 4-year-old Pendo Emmanuelle Nundi was kidnapped two weeks ago by “attackers armed with machetes.” In response, authorities immediately arrested the girl’s father and four other suspects.
At press time, the girl is yet to be found, and authorities suspect she has already been murdered.
Consequently, Home Affairs Minister Mathias Chikawe said the country would pull together to “arrest them and take [witchdoctors] to court” if they continued their activities.
According to Chikawe, the ban will be implemented in two weeks in the northern areas Mwanza, Geita, Simiyu, Tabora, and Shinyanga. The institution of the ban will be a combined effort of the police and the Tanzanian Albinism Society (TAS).
The ban has emerged from the work of a special joint task force between police and the TAS.
The task force’s work will now entail reviewing previous cases of albino attacks for new evidence and conducting further research on the motive of attackers.
Correspondents say some previous cases against alleged attackers have collapsed over the loss, mishandling or mislabelling of evidence.
Mr Chikawe acknowledged that further training of police was required
On the ban, TAS Chairman Ernest Njamakimaya said, “If we and the government come together and show strength as one and speak as one, we can deal with the problem head-on.”
Watch this video on the hunt for Tanzania’s albinos here:
SEE ALSO: Nigerians Need To Look In the Mirror, If We Wish To Solve Boko Haram Problem
Latonya Johnson and her 21-year-old daughter Laila Birchett are celebrating their graduation from Rutgers School…
Tributes have been pouring in from boxing greats for Sherif Lawal who passed away after…
Jordan Benston is the founder, owner, and operator of The Oracle Media, a black female-owned…
Cameron Robinson has attained a significant milestone at the age of twelve. He received an…
Legendary singer Stevie Wonder had one of his wishes fulfilled when he celebrated his 74th…
Baldwin Richardson Foods is a global manufacturer of custom ingredients for the food and beverage…
Loretta Mack has fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a registered nurse at 69 years…
A community in eastern Ethiopia buried twelve lightning survivors up to their necks and also…
Da'Kyah, a Minneapolis kindergartener, had to be hospitalized after suffering a mysterious illness as a…
Eritrean-American comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish recently opened up about a period in her childhood…
Steven L. Reed is the first black mayor of Montgomery, Alabama. The state of Alabama…
Chef Tobias Dorzon, an ex-NFL player turned chef and restaurateur, has been selected Chef of…
Tamiah Brevard-Rodriguez welcomed her son in the passenger seat of her wife’s Maserati, then seamlessly…
An aspiring doctor, who nearly drowned after being pushed into a Louisiana lake, has indicated…
Oluwami (Wami) Dosunmu-Ogunbi is the first Black woman to get a PhD in robotics at…
View Comments
What's wrong with you crazy African people. And you stupid witch doctors you breed superstition which isn't true anyway. It's a false believe perpetrated by the demons. It's evil. God said Ty o love your neighbor not hack them to death.
U fucking crazy Africans wtf in this day and age get a grip
What is being done to protect these children?
nothing!
The problem in these African countries is not the evils, evils are every where, the problem is the stupid corrupted governments. Look at the article and read this sentence:
Home Affairs Minister Mathias Chikawe said the country would pull together to “arrest them and take [witchdoctors] to court” IF they continued their activities.
IF they continue! means they are ok now, no problem, but don't continue please! Those filthy governments I bet are getting money out of this mayhem then they don't give a shit.
This entire article is about what they are doing. They have a ban. It's illegal. They have forces. They are trying.
Lack of education and disconnect with the rest of the world. Superstitions, religious beliefs and cultural practices are hard to let go.
The Albino story is just so touching and we should all work as one to protect these people. Tanzania needs to put up a strict law when anyone practicing such stupid witchcraft be put away for life.
Nothing will happen if somebody and something can be changed.
In this country have no humanity, no Justice or not human right to those people WHO is different from all others....