....It was insensitive of him to make such a remark. He should have known better than to say such a thing. He is one who should be leading the way in the fight against albino discrimination...
Story courtesy of The Guardian newspaper, Tanzania
Lindi Urban CCM parliamentary candidate Mohamed Abdul Azizi has conceded that the Civic United Front (CUF) presidential candidate, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, is a well learned economist who could bring economic revolution in the country if elected president.
Azizi, who also doubles as Iringa Regional Commissioner, is defending his position in the constituency he has been representing in parliament for a long time.
He told a campaign rally at Matopeni area that Prof Lipumba was one of the most brilliant academicians in the country who has offered his contribution to the development of the country and other nations.
The parliamentary candidate cited the US and European countries whose economies the professor had helped to improve, but told the potential voters that the time for Prof Lipumba to run the country was yet to come because of the existing traditional transfer of authority, for which he didn’t elaborate.
In another turn of events, Azizi and his campaign manager Khalfani Mandanje, used abusive and stigmatising language against Lindi Urban parliamentary candidate Salum Bar’wani from the Civic United Front, saying he was unsuitable because he was an albino.
They told the electorate in Ng’apa, Mingoyo, Chikonji and Matopeni wards at varying times of the campaigns that
under normal circumstances people with albinism suffered memory loss because of the lack of Vitamin C as they are exposed to sunlight.
CCM candidate Azizi is quoted to have said: “In the past, our elders spat on their chests if they met albinos in the morning to drive away any curse.”
An embittered Bar’wani told journalists that people harbouring such attitudes were no different from those who killed albinos for superstitious reasons.He is considering to petition to the national electoral commission.
Meanwhile, Azizi asked the electorate to vote him back into parliamaent so that he could finalise the construction of his hotel. But he did not give details.
