Kasungu Chapter Chairperson of the Association of People with Albinism (APAM), Caroline Zinkomola, has implored chiefs in Traditional Authority (TA) Chulu in the district to take action in preventing the killings of individuals with albinism. Speaking at a community and stakeholders awareness gathering on albinism, organized by the Kasungu District Peace and Unity Committee (DPUC), Zinkomola expressed distress over the numerous cases of persons with albinism being killed in the country, often for ritualistic purposes.
Zinkomola emphasized, “It is here at Chulu where one of us was murdered because of someone’s greed for quick money. There is no way you will find money through killing people with albinism. We will not cease these awareness meetings until you realize that we are just like you. You label us, pretending it justifies our exclusion from benefiting from various socio-economic initiatives. This must cease.”
Accompanied by her vice chairperson, Silvester Mhone, Zinkomola also criticized the legal system, pointing out that cases involving people with albinism often face prolonged trials.
Group Village Headman Kapatuka raised suspicion about the arrest of human tissue sellers without a corresponding action against the buyers in these cases.
Malifa Kapindira, the Coordinator for community policing in Kasungu, cautioned communities against involving themselves in unnecessary trouble, asserting that there is no market for human bones within the country or elsewhere. She urged communities to stay vigilant and promptly alert the police regarding suspicious individuals or activities in their villages to prevent further killings.
