Albinos’ Plight: Will Legal Methods be Powerful Enough To Eradicate Albinos’ Scourge?

Abstract

In Tanzania, persons with albinism commonly known as albinos, continue to be less valued, rejected, attacked and killed for ritual purposes. In response, the police force has been arresting witchdoctors as part of a campaign against albinos’ ritual killings. Albinos are believed to possess magical powers, source of misfortunes but able make people prosperous economically and socially. Eradication of witchcraft beliefs for long had been a concern of Africans throughout East and Central Africa. Despite harmful impact of witchcraft and witchdoctors activities, use of legal methods alone to eliminate the beliefs and practices have never been successful. Combination of legal methods and properly designed awareness creation programmes can be effective measures in fighting against negative beliefs and attitudes towards albinos leading to their brutal attacks and killings.

Key words: Albinos, Witchdoctors, African Communities.

Author
Methusela Mishael Masanja