It’s About Time We Treat People with Albinism as Human Beings not Ghosts

Twenty-four years into democracy and we still have people who live fearful because of what skin colour they were born with. Rituals and spiritual philosophies about albinism have led to brutal murders, especially of children. This is despite the campaigns initiated around South Africa to curb the attacks on people with albinism.

It is no secret that the death toll of people with albinism has risen over the past few months. Our brothers and sisters of this country are being treated more like ghosts than humans.

In the past months a lot of horrific, heart-breaking incidents of people with albinism who were raped, kidnapped and murdered were reported.

Does living with albinism in this country mean that you should constantly live in fear? That you don’t deserve to live in the country of your birth?

What men are basically telling people with albinism, especially children, is that they can’t stay out too late. Because their skin colour makes them prey. However these perpetrators feel like they have the right to do as they please with children’s bodies, that it is within their rights to end the lives of albinos simply because of their skin colour.

Now the main question would be, when will we trust the communities we live in with our kids.

There is a lot of pain that the albinism community suffer, emotionally, psychologically and physically and it is at the hands of our fellow South Africans. Our own brothers are threatening the existence of their own sisters, in homes, campuses, taxis, on the streets and everywhere where there is the presence of albinism. Are people with albinism safe?

Many people would attest that people with albinism are murdered for various reasons. They are being oppressed entirely based on myths and superstitions. Most of these attacks are driven by the escalating demand for body parts of people with albinism mostly used by traditional doctors.

The idea is beyond ridiculous, not to mention evil. However, it does not stop people from believing that body parts of people with albinism produces the ‘strongest muti’.

The Mail & Guardian reports that the killing of people with albinism is a big issue in African countries such as Malawi and Tanzania in East Africa, so much so that strong interventions have been introduced and implemented by their governments to combat the killings.

Recently, Sowetan Live has been reporting on numerous killings of people with albinism in Mpumalanga. It reports that Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni has vowed to help fight the killing of people with albinism.

This came after two children were kidnapped in the province. Gabisile Shabane, 13, and 15-month-old Nkosikhona Ngwenya were kidnapped by three unknown men in Hlalanikahle section of Emalahleni on January 28.

Albinism is a genetic disorder inherited from parents who carry a gene that prevents the skin from producing melanin properly resulting an absence (or very little) pigment in the skin, hair and eyes, to give it colour.

However, we need a society that will understand that the colour of our skin does not define our essence.

It goes without saying that many people have a dark relationship with people with albinism – they do not want to associate themselves with people who lack a bit of melanin, people who are black but white outside; is that it huh?

Well, if you ask me that is outrageous, it boils down to racism, which people are forever begging the end of it. It is believed that genitals and thumbs of people with albinism possess distinct magical powers, bringing wealth, good luck or success; and to make things worse, there is a notion that having sex with people with albinism can cure HIV/AIDS. That’s nonsense, I mean it has been proven scientifically that this is not real.

Many campaigns and awareness have been initiated across the globe in the quest to put an end to the beliefs and superstitions about people with albinism.

Nonetheless, the question is: how do we deal with this thorn in your flesh?