Malawi bans foreign witch doctors to stop albino killings

Malawi has banned foreign witch doctors from practising in the country, in an intervention to stop the attacks and murders of albinos.

According to reports, President Peter Mutharika’s chief political adviser Dr Hetherwick Ntaba said foreign witch doctors are responsible for the increase in the number of attacks.

“Foreign witch-doctors should immediately stop plying their trade in Malawi. We have just learnt that some witch-doctors who were banned in Tanzania and others from Mozambique fled to Malawi and are fuelling attacks on people with albinism. They must be deported,” Ntaba was quoted saying.

Last year, Tanzania banned witch doctors in a similar bid to curb the spate of attacks on albinos.

While the effectiveness of Malawi’s latest campaign to protect albinos could be questionable, the decision is welcome and signals that the much needed political will to act on the issue exists.

In April, President Mutharika issued a strong caution against people involved in the murder of albinos and those desecrating graves of albinos.

Read: “Albino hunters” threaten lives of albino people in Malawi

Traditional leaders in the Malawi have also been standing up for the rights of people with albinism, denouncing the barbaric acts and warning perpetrators that they would face tough action from the police.

Previous efforts

Recently, police in Malawi  embarked in a public awareness campaign to educate community members to demystify and debunk deep-seated misconceptions and superstitious beliefs that albino body parts bring wealth and power. The campaign, which is in line with regional and international mechanisms to protect the rights of people with albinism was hailed as a major step to help end the worsening plight of albinos.

Source: Malawi24