Mizengo Pinda Apologises over "Albino Remarks" in Tears

Mizengo Pinda, Tanzania's prime minister, in tears as he apologises in Parliament

Apologizing for the statement he made during his visit in Lake Zone last week that albino killers should also be killed on the spot, the Premier...Read the Rest Here

...But the battle against albino killings is still on!

Bandying of words over the Albino issue is Tiring; We need action, action, action...

The opposition in Parliament has called for resignation of Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda over a statement he made last week that people who kill albinos should also be killed...Read the Rest Here

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The Opposition yesterday lashed out at Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda following his declaration that people caught killing albinos should also be killed...Read the Rest Here

"Albino Killers should be killed too"...

People caught red-handed killing albinos should also be killed on the spot, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has reiterated...Read the Rest

Licensed to be a Witch?

Traditional Healers not Happy with Govt. Decision

Traditional doctors have criticised the Government's decision to revoke their licences in a raft of measures announced Friday to stop albino killings in the country...Read the Rest

"Under the Same Sun" in the News

The article below was in the This Day Newspaper edition of Tuesday, 27th January, 2009. I have posted it here in its entirety.

Canadian NGO seeks global intervention in albino killings

THISDAY REPORTER & AGENCIES
Dar es Salaam

A CANADIAN organization fighting for the rights of albinos has called for the intervention of the international community to stop the slaughter of people living with the condition in Tanzania.

The ’Under The Same Sun’ organization, whose founder is Canadian businessman Peter Ash, implores all members of civil society around the world to join hands in the cause.

’’Please rise up for human dignity,’’ said Ash, who himself has albinism. ’’Rise up for those being butchered week in and week out. Learn from the holocaust, where too many people took far too long to act.’’

’’The heart-wrenching cry of 170,000 people with albinism in Tanzania is: ’We are being hunted like animals...please help us!’ The global community must therefore act quickly,’’ he added.

Ash also called on media and political leaders to act swiftly so that no more children are mutilated and killed.

The trade in albino body parts in Tanzania is reported to be very lucrative, with one leg yielding up to $2,000 (approx. 2.6m/-). This market in human body parts stems from beliefs promoted by witchdoctors that the blood, hair or other parts of a person with albinism, when combined in a special potion, will make its user rich.

Todate, there have been 41 documented cases of people with albinism being butchered in Tanzania. The local albino community places the murder toll much higher, at approximately 60 cases. Many of those targeted are children - in one reported case the victim was just six months.

Late last year, Ash returned from Tanzania where he had led an international delegation on a fact-finding mission to examine the witchcraft-related murders of Tanzanians with albinism. The delegation met with several senior government officials and presented a petition of over 5,000 signatures from around the world, expressing alarm about the murders.

However, despite government assurances that everything possible is being done to stop these gruesome crimes, the public record shows that there has not yet been a single prosecution of any person apprehended in connection with the murders.

Albinism is a genetic condition causing the absence of pigmentation in the hair, skin and eyes. It affects one in 20,000 people globally. Current local estimates place the incidence of albinism at one in 3,000.

Government wants Traditional Healers Monitored

The government has called on the Tanzania Association of Traditional Medicine to devise a monitoring mechanism that would help it root out unlicensed traditional healers...Read the Rest

Mixed reactions on the Prime Minister's directive

NCCR-Mageuzi party has criticised Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda over the statements he made during his tour in Tabora Region that Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) youths should take action against suspected albino killers ...Read the Rest

Judge not…

It is very wrong to judge people by the colour of their skin. The good Lord talks against this vehemently in His Word. He, in effect, says that we should not judge that we may not be judged. The only one who has the capacity to judge is God alone.

Thinking of albinos as queer beings is judging them by the colour of their skin. Instead of judging other people, we should look for ways of strengthening our relationships with them. That way we’ll be making the world a better place to live in.

Just what Tanzanian Albinos Need: This Man with a no-nonsense Approach to Matters of Import

I love the approach to matters of import exhibited by this senior man in the Tanzanian government. He is a very serious man. Simply put: he says what he means and means what he says.
This man is in the name of the Prime Minister of Tanzania Mr. Mizengo Peter Pinda.

He made a very profound statement two days ago, both in word and in deed, concerning the albino issue.
What he said clearly resonates with what we have been saying time and time again in this blog.

With a straight face and a booming voice, he said, in no uncertain terms, that the public needs to be told what measures are taken against those caught in connection with killing and maiming of albinos.

He said that when the authorities concerned fail to make public the measures taken against such people, they (the authorities) lose credibility in the eyes of the public.

Their silence, in effect, spurs on the acts of violence against albinos. This is because there seems to be no measure taken against perpetrators of these dastardly acts.

I am confident to say that this was a wake-up call to those in power to do all that is in their power to stem the killing of albinos in Tanzania.

Such words, coming from the leader of government business in Tanzania, reaffirm the commitment of the government to deal with, and totally “annihilate”, this disturbing issue.

But the speed at which the “albino issue” is being dealt with here is wanting. It is not fast enough. It seems that some quarters of the government are not doing what they should in this fight.

The PMs Commitment
Mr. Mizengo Pinda reinforced his commitment to fighting the cause of albinos in Tanzania by taking a Standard Two albino boy (his name is George Bush) into his care. He pledged to taken care of his welfare and schooling. He added that he would make sure that George Bush gets the best education (up to the highest levels of education).

This is very consoling and encouraging, Mr. Pinda.

If only we had more leaders with your kind of heart! How I wish!

A Humbling Chat with Peter Ash

I was filled with a mixture of surprise and utter joy when Peter Ash, CEO of THE NDG FINANCIAL CORPORATION, called me on my mobile phone sometime this week. He is the man behind the site Under the Same Sun – a site out to fight the cause of albinos.

When Peter congratulated me on the work I’m doing in this site – creating awareness about the plight of albinos in Tanzania – I was more than humbled. Yes, humbled. Humbled that this site is being read by people who are at the helm of their countries and organizations.

For the 16 minutes that we talked, Peter’s enthusiasm was almost tangible. I could feel it. The acme of his enthusiasm came when he talked of the plans he has to champion an albino awareness campaign in Tanzania. I was, and definitely I am, impressed.

He also told me that being an albino in a Caucasian society, he has also had his fair share of challenges especially when he was young. His school mates used to call him names. He also had problems with his eye sight (a common problem experienced by albinos the world over).

But despite his challenging start at life, he has risen up the ranks and is now the CEO of his own company. He also has a good education to boot.

This, Peter and I agreed, is unlike what most albinos in Africa (Tanzania in particular) can achieve in a life-time. This is because, in Tanzania, albinism is seen as a curse and albinos are treated like people who do not have the right to be on the face of the earth. This has been compounded by the recent spate of albino killings in Tanzania that have shocked the world.

Parents with albino children fear to let them go to school for fear that something bad may befall their children. In this way, the fate of the albino children is sealed: without an education, they’ll more certainly lead lives of beggary.

We also talked about the principal spark that fuels albino killings in Tanzania: witchcraft and sorcery. What stands out from what we said about this issue is that witchcraft and sorcery are vices that are empowered by ignorance. Before any significant change can come about, this ignorance must first be stamped out.

It is also worthy to note that witchcraft is a deep-seated and equally deep-rooted problem in the Tanzanian society – for even some people in government use witchcraft to stay in power. It is something that can never be wished away.

The good thing is that one of the principal reasons why Under the Same Sun was set up, is to help get ways and means to deal with the problems bedeviling the albino society.

Peter Ash, I know this is a tall order but with concerted effort, enthusiasm and the will to rise up against all odds, this monster will be routed; this great war will be won. Go for it!

Possible Economic Ventures for Albinos in Mwanza

The Tanzania Albino Society (TAS), Mwanza chapter, is looking at sewing and dyeing clothes as possible economic ventures for its members...Read the Rest Here

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Fight against Albino Killings enters New Front

It is a beautiful thing when the society is seen to wake from deep slumber and realizes that the onus of taking care of its own, rests squarely on its (society’s) shoulders.

In fact, of late, many people have been raising their voices to shout down the killings of albinos in Tanzania and the region as a whole. This is a good start. But it is not good enough.

It is not that I’m trying to water down what has already been done. Never. But I believe it’s time we metamorphosed from the “talking” phase to the “action” phase.

The good news is that some sections of the society have come of age and have decided to cross to the next phase without having to be pushed or shoved.

On 5th of January this year 350 mobile phones were given to the albino society (to be distributed amongst themselves). These are intended to be used to make it easy for albinos to report (to the police and other security organs in the society) injustices perpetrated against them.

In the same vein, 50 special phones, for receiving info about criminals, were given to the police. These gadgets will greatly ease communication between the police and albinos (and the public as a whole). Thus, speedier apprehension of suspects is expected to be the fruit of this initiative courtesy of mobile phone providers Zain and Vodacom.

Well-done Zain and Vodacom. May other players in the society see the light and follow suit.

Police arm Albinos with cell phones to Fight killings

Happy New Year

How are you good people? How’s the New Year treatin’ you? I wish to thank you all for supporting this blog as it endeavors to “out” the ill that is albino killings.


The year 2008 was a challenging year that saw so many vices coming to the knowledge of the public. But the one that jolted us more than the others was the killing of our dear brothers and sisters: the albinos.

I wish and hope that this year will see an end to this crime against humanity. I wish and hope, too, that there will be a deep-rooted political will (in the political class) to vanquish the demon that is albino killings. You know, where there is will there is a way.

Lip service does not help much. Action does. I believe this year will be one of action and not just mere babble.

Let’s hold hands and fight to the finish line together, shall we?

Happy New Year!!!