Ruth Zulu, Zambia: ‘Make laws to protect people with albinism’

People with albinism (PWA) in several countries in Southern Africa live in fear, notably in Zambia and Malawi, as the article presented below underlines. This is outrageous. People with albinism have basic human rights, just like everyone in their society. Governments should protect their citizens from these heinous attacks which are based on superstition. Murderers should not get away with their crimes. Laws are important to protect people, but law enforcement is equally important! (webmaster FVDK).    

‘Make laws to protect people with albinism’

Published: September 12, 2020
By: The Southern Times, The Newspaper for Southern Africa – Jeff Kapembwa

Lusaka – People with albinism (PWA) in Zambia have demanded strong legislation to protect them from misguided individuals who think culling their body parts can help them make magic potions.

The ritual killing of PWAs continues and stigmatisation of the pigment-related condition remains a challenge in many societies.

National Albinism Initiative Network of Zambia deputy executive director Ruth Zulu this week lamented the continued stigmatisation and murder of PWAs, saying the government needed a legal framework to specifically target these issues.

Such a framework, Zulu said, would also help mainstream albinism issues in national development.

In an interview with The Southern Times at a Zambia Albinism Awareness Programme workshop in Lusaka on Thursday, Zulu – an Environmental Engineering student at Copperbelt University – cited various incidences in which PWAs had been ritually killed or otherwise exploited.

“It is the obligation of our government under the leadership of President (Edgar)!Lungu to take up such a responsibility, answerably and enforceability. “Discrimination, marginalisation and social exclusion of PWAs have been reported as a global phenomenon and that is why we need apolicy to recognise these.

“The cycle of attacks, discrimination and poverty must be broken. There is value in having domestic laws and other measures which are unambiguous and effective protection of PWAs,” she said.

Albinism is a genetic condition that affects one in 20,000 people globally.

It is rare in people with lighter pigmentation and more common in Africa.

A Malawi court last year sentenced three people to death for killing a person with albinism.

The three chopped of the limbs of a person living with albinism with the intention of trafficking the body parts for ritual purposes.

Source: ‘Make laws to protect people with albinism

‘Ritual killings have always happened in Zambia towards elections’ – says MMD president Dr Nevers Mumba

Sometimes even I am surprised, astonished, flabbergasted. I read about ritualistic killings, witchcraft and superstition nearly every day, but what I just read is mind-boggling.

Read below what Zambia’s MMD president Dr Nevers Mumba recently said (webmaster FVDK).

Zambia can be shipwrecked, Nevers warns pastors
Published: February 1, 2020
By: The Mast (Zambia) – Tobias Phiri 

RITUAL killings have always happened in Zambia towards elections, says MMD president Dr Nevers Mumba.

And Mumba says very few politicians operate without the use of charms, black magic.

He says he “knew the day would come when the Church’s relevance was going to be exaggerated because once these issues begin and people begin to kill for blood that they get into power or remain in power then it goes beyond politics. It’s now the spirit world as much as you [pastors] do and if you do not provide the necessary answers, Zambia can be ship wrecked.”

Speaking during a pastors’ conference in Lusaka’s Chawama township on Thursday, Mumba said it was the Church’s responsibility to pray for the country.

“We have issues going on in Chingola right now, people are being killed, sacrifice for blood and it is true. The Lord spoke to me many years ago that as we come close to any election in this country, those aspiring for power are going to be required to provide amounts of blood in order for them to win their elections. This is not a secret, it’s not [only] happening today, it happens always. Only that it has not been highlighted but I want you to understand that there is witchcraft in politics. Ever since I joined politics what I found is amazing,” he said.

“Very few [politicians] walk free. What they have wrapped around their waists, around their necks and their fingers, you may think its mere clothing but it’s what they use to survive and to win elections. That is why I say when the Church moves in and these things start falling off that is when Zambia shall be saved.”

And commenting on Nigerian prophet Andrew Ejimandu popularly known as Seer 1, Mumba asked Zambians to remain calm as nothing would happen. He urged the people to pray for their leaders.

“What is happening in our country should not scare anybody, its nothing. Zambia is firm on our Christian principles. Someone may ask, ‘what about what Seer is saying?’ None of that moves us, the only people who should be concerned are those who are seeking ‘power’ from him,” Mumba said.

“Pray for leaders whether in opposition or in government. Don’t say you can’t pray for that president because you don’t love him, pray because you love the Word of God [and] that you are the defender of Zambia. If you don’t pray for that president he will make a decision tomorrow that is going to make your children die along the way. I take time to pray for President [Edgar] Lungu myself as often as I can because the bible commands so – ‘pray for those in authority’.”

Mumba said: “If you turn to social media, you will be amazed by the intensity of debate on spiritual matters that affect our country today”.

“I knew the day would come when the Church’s relevance was going to be exaggerated because once these issues begin and people begin to kill for blood that they get into power or remain in power then it goes beyond politics. It’s now the spirit world as much as you [pastors] do and if you do not provide the necessary answers, Zambia can be ship wrecked,” he warned.

Mumba said the MMD under his leadership was going to turn around fortunes of the country. 

“There are two forces that rule in every nation, the physical and the spiritual. I am not just in politics for political power, I am a double sim which is extremely dangerous. That is why spirits will fight me more than any other politician because I’m saying let us change the atmosphere. The atmosphere of Zambia must be changed and we are going to do it in Jesus’ name,” said Mumba.

Source: Zambia can be shipwrecked, Nevers warns pastors

Zambia: Cannibals in Matero? Suspected ritual killer arrested in Lusaka

Unfortunately, Zambia is no exception. Ritual killing of human beings – children, adults – takes place in Zambia too. I’ve been following events in Zambia since quite some time. Many suspected cases of ritual killings as well as real cases have been reported over the years. Without a shadow of a doubt the tip of the iceberg – as in many other countries. Many ritual murders are not discovered, or not reported as such. One of the cases in my archives dates back to 1996. An excerpt: “(…) Early this year, another spate of mob justice hit the country, especially Lusaka and the tourist capital Livingstone, after children started disappearing. Some of the children were later found, horribly mutilated. These murders were believed to be ritual killings. Angry mobs again took their justice, beating to death some suspects who the police say were innocent. This ended only when the police arrested and had several men convicted.(…)

More in the near future. Read here (below) one of the more recent cases. Matero lies a few miles west of Lusaka, Zambia’s capital.
Readers are warned, the details are gruesome.

Ritual killings, superstition, mob justice, absence of rule of law, ignorance, they’re all interrelated. Let’s hope that the Zambian government continues on the good road taken, as shown by the appearance in Parliament and the frank statements of Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo.
(webmaster FVDK)

Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo: “Between October 21, last year, and February 24, this year, seven suspected ritual killings were reported to Police (…)”

CANNIBALS IN MATERO?…POLICE RECOVER COOKED HUMAN HEART, LIVER AFTER ARRESTING A SUSPECTED RITUAL KILLER IN LUSAKA

Published on March 2, 2018
By CHILA NAMAIKO and JANE MWANSA
Times of Zambia

A COOKED human heart and liver have been recovered by police in Lusaka after arresting a suspected mastermind in the spate of suspected ritualistic killings of seven people in Matero, Parliament heard yesterday.

Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo said some of the cooked body parts were eaten by the suspect, who also shared with his unsuspecting neighbours.
Mr Kampyongo informed the House that the suspect also led the officers to the recovery of ears and several private parts, which had now been submitted to the forensic laboratory for examination. Updating the House in a ministerial statement on recent suspected ritual killings, he said all the victims of the murders were found with their chests ripped open and internal parts missing.
He said the security situation in Matero was generally stable until October, 21, last year, when the first suspected ritual killing was reported.
Between that date and February 24, this year, seven suspected ritual killings were reported to Police, with the victims in all the incidences had been males aged between 25 and 40 years. “By 24th February 2018, the Zambia Police Service investigation unit had with the help of the suspect recovered suspected cooked human heart and liver, “he said.

Mr Kampyongo said police visited and processed the crime scene, and preliminary findings suggested that the people behind the gruesome murders used the same method of killing.
For instance, at every crime scene, a concrete block was found. The officers believe the same block was one of the weapons used.
“The ripping open of the chest, cutting off of the ears and the private parts also appear to have been conducted in a similar manner. The preliminary findings suggest that these murders have been carried out by the same group,” he said.
Mr Kampyongo warned that false beliefs of human body parts helping one to accumulate wealth had no place in Zambia, and the law would catch up with the perpetrators.

To bring the perpetrators of such barbaric crimes, the House heard that police had instituted investigations, which had so far resulted in the arrest of one suspect.
He said the suspect, believed to be the master-mind, was assisting the officers with further investigations and would appear in court soon.
Police had taken a number of measures to enhance security in Matero such as foot patrol and motorised patrols, increased presence in high-density townships, and sensitisation to members of the community on personal security. He assured the public of police protection.

Meanwhile, residents of Kitwe woke up to a rude shock yesterday after a human head was found along the banks of the Kafue River.
When contacted for a comment, Copperbelt Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga said police were waiting for the family of the deceased to come and identify the head. And scores of residents living near the river thronged the scene to have a glimpse of the bizarre finding, which was later picked up by police.

Source: Times of Zambia, March 2, 2018