This is not the proper place to dwell on the excesses of the Trump Administration. Moreover, I wouldn’t’t have enough time or space to do it. However, the following is obviously a violation of the right to asylum. People with albinism need protection of the state and the community, notably in Africa, where the risks of being attacked, kidnapped, mutilated or murdered for reasons of witchcraft are clearly present given the numerous reported cases. It’s a daily reality for a person living with albinism in Sub-Saharan Africa to fear for one’s life. Hence, it is absolutely understandable that a person with albinism who does not get the protection he or she needs, flees to a place where the superstitious and violent practices as they occur in SSA are absent.
This explains the reason of fleeing to the US by a Nigerian with albinism, named Aisha (real name withheld for private and safety reasons). The Trump Administration’s asylum crackdown shattered her dreams of a quit and peaceful life in the US.
How on earth could one decide to deport her to Uganda, a place known for being unsafe and dangerous for persons with albinism?
Uganda is not a ‘safe third country’ for people living with albinism, whatever the US Department of Homeland Security may say. It’s an outright scandal, and human rights violation – unfortunately neither the first nor the last of the Trump Administration.
Moreover, the policy of deporting unwanted persons to a so-called safe third country, often poor countries (lamentably, the US is not the only western country resorting to these practices) has definitely (neo-)colonial characteristics. Another reason to reject it. (webmaster FVDK)
‘I was devastated’: the Nigerian with albinism deported under Trump’s asylum crackdown
Published: July 1, 2026 By: Sarah Johnson (name has been changed at the subject’s request) – The Guardian
Growing up and living with albinism in rural Nigeria was tough for Aisha*. She and her two siblings with the condition were shrouded in stigma and lived in constant fear of being mutilated or killed. Her sister was attacked twice and her brother was kidnapped as a child by people who wanted to sell his body parts.
A bus arrives in Jinja, Uganda, before a march against discrimination, held by people with albinism and their supporters to mark International Albinism Awareness Day.
Three years ago, Aisha, 35, entered the US via the border with Mexico and registered as an asylum seeker. Her brother had already been granted asylum and her sister’s case was soon to be successful, too.
But in March she was informed that her claim would not be heard and that she would be deported to Uganda instead – a country in east Africa deemed safe by the US Department of Homeland Security.
“I was devastated and shocked when the judge denied my case,” says Aisha. “All the evidence was there – my siblings were attacked in Nigeria.
“In Uganda the same thing happens, they take people for [witchcraft] rituals and everything. I don’t know what else they needed for me to show them that I have a legitimate case.”
Albinism is an inherited genetic condition that reduces the amount of melanin pigment formed in the skin, hair and eyes. It occurs in all ethnic groups throughout the world. In subSaharan Africa, the prevalence of albinism is the highest worldwide, and it affects more than one in 4,000 people in some countries, according to the World Health Organization.
In countries throughout subSaharan Africa, including Nigeria and Uganda, people with albinism face severe threats, including ritual killings, rape and mutilation. These attacks are driven by harmful superstitions that their body parts bring wealth, political success and good luck.
Aisha’s lawyer, Ravindar Arora, who also represented her two siblings, calls the decision to deny her asylum “ridiculous”.
“Having worked as an immigration lawyer in the US for 15 years, I’ve got a good sense of what is a winnable asylum claim and what’s not,” he says. “This should have been a slam dunk.”
He adds that the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has been playing havoc with people’s lives and his job. “It’s insane. Trump’s first term was not great … attorney generals were plucking out cases, writing their own decisions and overturning decades of precedent in the process. That was bad enough. This is easily 10 times worse.”
According to Ikponwosa Ero, director of advocacy at Under the Same Sun, a charity helping people with albinism, the rise of anti-immigrant rhetoric and farright movements in the US and Europe is leading to more asylum claims for people with albinism being denied.
“[These cases were successful] up until the last couple of years, with the changes in administrations worldwide where people are looking more inward,” she says. “Before that, we had an estimate of an over-90% success rate. But with the changes in administrations and political approaches [that’s no longer the case].”
Under the Trump administration, the US has entered into several new asylum cooperative agreements (ACAs) accords that allow governments to transfer asylum seekers to third countries rather than adjudicating their claims domestically.
Under these arrangements, people may be removed to a “safe third country”, even if they have no ties to that nation. One exception to the ACAs is if someone would be persecuted or tortured in the third country.
Arora says he submitted evidence in Aisha’s case showing that people with albinism are not safe in Uganda. “We even had an expert witness testify, who is from Uganda and who lives with albinism. The judge tried to turn that around on us and said she was living in Uganda, so it must be safe,” he says.
The Ugandan government’s action plan for persons with albinism 2020-25 says they are “a vulnerable group that faces multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and human rights violations”.
It adds: “They have been subjected to discrimination, banishment, cutting of body parts and amputation of limbs, torture, and murder due to … unfounded beliefs [in witchcraft].”
Arora believes Aisha has a strong case and even if it is rejected at the next stage, the Board of Immigration Appeals, they will appeal again.
Aisha, who has married and had a child since she arrived in the US, says: “I don’t even know what to think. I was really hopeful and then my [asylum request] was denied. Still, I remain hopeful that I will be able to pursue my goals and live a normal life here.”
• This article was amended on 30 June 2026 to remove some personal information.
The life of Nelisiwe Shiba, a woman born with albinism, was never the same after dodging the night she was meant to ‘disappear’ for good, as per the age-old legend that people like her do not die — they simply vanish.
They can even leave the house in the middle of the night without informing anyone, as the legend goes, and take on a mysterious journey to a forest or mountain – never to be traced again.
However, just hours before the evening when such was scheduled to happen to Shiba (35), she was given a timely tip-off by a community resident supposedly sent by a member of the very group that had plotted to make her vanish forever. The member seemingly had a change of heart.
This took place in one of the small rural communities of Northern Hhohho, whose name she preferred not to disclose. She was 25 at the time and had a small child.
Since then, Shiba has been living with the kind of fear that grips people with albinism nowadays — that when the sun sets, they could fall victim to ritual killing disguised as mysterious disappearances. Albinism is a genetic condition in which a person is born with little or no melanin pigment, resulting in lighter skin, hair, and eyes and often causing vision problems.
Harmful myths falsely claim that people with albinism possess magical powers or bring wealth, a misconception that has contributed to discrimination, attacks, and ritual killings.
Elaborating on her account in the wake of International Albinism Awareness Day, commemorated on June 13 to promote the rights, dignity and inclusion of persons with albinism worldwide, Shiba mentioned that she had previously been oblivious to grave dangers faced by people like her.
“After I graduated from Limkokwing University, I relocated to Northern Hhohho because I got a piece-job as a shopkeeper in a grocery shop owned by a relative. The community there was very welcoming and I never felt unsafe, even at night,” she said.
The only challenge she knew and had experienced as a person with albinism was discrimination. Being vulnerable to murder for ritual purposes was a myth to her until the day she got a grave warning that saved her life.
Recounting the events of that day, she stated:
“The community member came to the shop where I worked.
He said he wanted my father’s contact number. I was sceptical about giving it to him, but he insisted with some urgency.”
She yielded after the man bluntly told her that she was not safe and must ensure she did not close the shop late that day.
“He called my father and I overheard the conversation. He informed him about a plot to take my life and that it was a done deal. I had been sold, that night would be the one I disappeared,” she stated.
Shiba also overheard that a certain witchdoctor or sorcerer was part of the group and had approved her as a suitable target. He would be there to oversee the ritual process of the killing. The fact that she had a small child, though without albinism, was viewed as a bonus. Shiba was going to ‘disappear’ with her child.
“When he finished the phone conversation, before departing, he gave me another stern warning not to tell anyone what I had heard.
Shortly afterwards, I received a call from my father, who told me to pack up and find someone to carry on with the shop the following day because he would be fetching me before evening,” she explained.
Shiba remembers being emotionally traumatised by the visit and feeling weak at the knees with fear due to sudden realisation she was never completely safe due to her albinism.
Early that evening, her parents arrived in a car and took her and her child away without giving any hint that it was, in fact, a desperate escape.
She recalled that the community member who warned her father hinted during the phone call that the homestead involved in the deadly plot was nearby.
These were people she interacted with almost daily and would never have suspected to harbour such intentions. Looking back, she says the incident became a turning point that fuelled her distrust of people — something that persists to this day. It takes time for her to let down her guard.
“I don’t hitchhike or accept lifts unless it is from someone very close and trusted. I rely on public transport and would rather go back home than accept a lift from strangers,” she added.
Since that day, she has also become sensitive to noises at night. The slightest sound in or outside the house wakes her up, and she listens carefully to determine its nature.
Over the years, Shiba channelled that fear into advocacy by joining the Swaziland Association of Persons with Albinism (SAPA), where she has since risen to the position of president.
“I’ve also become a motivator for persons with albinism and try to fight for our rights. Apart from threats to our lives, we suffer social discrimination a lot, as many people have wrong information about albinism,” she said.
“There’s still a long way to go in educating the nation and debunking all the myths.”
The Swaziland Association of Persons with Albinism (SAPA) has raised alarm over persistent discrimination, dangerous superstitions and violence against people with albinism.
The association warned that the situation amounts to an ‘undercover genocide’, not just in the kingdom, but the wider Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The concern was expressed by SAPA Executive Director Philemon Gama during the commemoration of International Albinism Awareness Day held at the Deputy prime minister’s office on Friday.
The event was attended by Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta-Simelane, who represented Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla. Representatives from disability organisations and SAPA members were also in attendence.
Gama said misinformation about albinism remains widespread, contributing to stigma, exclusion and in some cases, violent attacks. He noted that harmful beliefs—such as the idea that people with albinism do not die but disappear, or that their body parts bring luck—continue to place them at risk of ritual killings.
He cited recent incidents in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, including the killing of children with albinism in Madagascar and another case in Malawi involving a relative. He cited cases in the country, recalling the 2010 murders of two children in the Shiselweni region and a another in the Hhohho region in 2016, which he said demonstrate that the threat is not theoretical but real.
“These are not was olated incidents. They reflect a deeper problem driven by superstition and silence. In many cases, disappearances are not properly reported due to cultural misconceptions,” Gama said.
Beyond safety concerns, he highlighted systemic discrimination affecting access to opportunities, including financial assistance. He said persons with albinism were often met with skepticism when seeking support, limiting their ability to improve their livelihoods.
Gama welcomed government efforts to improve living conditions for persons with albinism, including a housing initiative announced by the deputy prime minister’s office. Under the programme, five houses were allocated, with two already completed and handed over at Mhlangatane and Mayiwane, while three remain under construction.
He further called for SPF 50+ sunscreen to be included on the national essential medicines list, arguing that it should be provided free due to the health risks associated with prolonged sun exposure.
SAPA also urged stronger regional and continental legal protections, calling on governments and the African Union to intensify efforts to prevent ritual killings and discrimination. Gama appealed to communities, traditional leaders and the media to actively challenge harmful beliefs and ensure responsible reporting.
He stressed that awareness must extend beyond annual commemorations.
“This issue requires consistent attention, education and action throughout the year if we are to achieve meaningful change,” he said. Gama concluded by calling for sustained advocacy and stronger institutional support to ensure the safety, dignity and full inclusion of persons with albinism in society.
Warning: the following post contains graphic details of abductions, mutilations and other criminal acts including murder which may upset readers.
Unfortunately, the abduction, mutilation and killing of persons with albinism for ritualistic purposes have never disappeared in the Southern African country of Malawi. I have devoted considerable attention to this in the past.
Without pretending to be exhaustive I refer to the following posts: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024. Interested readers may use the dropdown menu (under ‘African countries’) for all posts on Malawi. For last year, 2025, I may refer to an article published by The Guardian, A friend killed, and inquiries shelved: life fighting the stigma of albinism in Malawi (not covered on the present ste). It draws attention to the increasing fear among people with albinism in light of the scheduled elections.
As has been reported before, there exists a link between an increase of reported ritualistic killings and elections (see my March 18 post) – and Malawi does not seem to be an exception – whereas the Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (APAM) has drawn attention to the connivance of certain politicians who obstruct fair investigations into reported attacks on people with albinism and ritual murder cases or sweep them under the rug, see my 2021 post on the subject.
The Malawi-based journalist and media professional Benson Kunchezera has a strong focus on development reporting, particularly in areas such as agriculture, digital innovation, public health, and environmental sustainability. Besides the just mentioned areas of interest and competence he is also interested in human rights issues in particular the position of persons with albinism and their plight in some countries notably Malawi. I commend him for drawing international attention to the precarious position of people with albinism in Malawi and highly recommended reading his recently published article on this topic.
Malawi’s renewed attacks on persons with albinism raise alarm
Attacks, abductions, and grave tampering targeting persons with albinism have resurfaced across Malawi in 2026, reigniting fears that the country’s progress on protecting this vulnerable community is unravelling. Civil society is fighting back — but without a renewed national action plan, advocates warn the worst may be yet to come.
The story of Flora Saidi remains one of the most painful reminders of the violence faced by people with albinism in Malawi. According to accounts documented by advocacy organisations supporting persons with albinism in the country.
Flora Saidi
It was a Monday morning in 2003 when Flora Saidi left her home in Kadewere village under Traditional Authority Chowe in Mangochi, hoping to find piecework to feed her family. She left behind her 19-year-old son, Saidi Daitoni, a young man with albinism.
When she returned home empty-handed later that afternoon, her son had managed to earn a small amount of money. They agreed to share it with his girlfriend, who was visiting. Saidi left with her to look for change so they could divide the money properly. He never returned.
The following morning, Flora began searching for him. By then, he had disappeared. Police were informed, and after a search, his body was discovered near a residence he had visited the previous evening. Some of his body parts had been removed. The perpetrator was later sentenced to 155 years in prison with hard labour.
PERSISTENT THREATS IN RURAL MALAWI
Malawi has 134,636 persons with albinism, with over 117,000 living in rural areas. It is in these rural communities where poverty, limited law-enforcement presence, and entrenched myths combine to create dangerous conditions.
Persons with Albinism, especially in the southern African regions face persecutions, because their body parts are believed to bring lack of wealth after being mixed with some concoctions by a witch doctor.
Others believe that when they have unprotected sexual intercourse with a person with albinism they can get cured of HIV/ AIDS.
The Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (APAM) has documented fresh cases in districts including Mulanje, Kasungu, and Dowa. Grave tampering and disappearances have reignited fear among families who had begun to feel cautiously safe.
In February 2018, Amnesty International published a joint report by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Malawi Police Force with 148 cases reported in Malawi’s four districts.
Recently, in 2026, more than 4 cases of persons with Albinism have been recorded by the Malawi Police Service ranging from attacks, abductions and tampering of graves in some parts of the country.
“We thought we were coming to an end of these attacks,” Maynard Zacharia, APAM’s National Coordinator, told FairPlanet. “Now we are seeing signs that the underlying issues were never fully resolved.”
Maynard Zacharia
COMMUNITY PROTECTION IN ACTION
In response, APAM has intensified its on-the-ground efforts. The organisation is not only condemning attacks publicly but also mobilising communities in hotspot districts such as Machinga.
One strategy involves relocating children with albinism from high-risk areas to safer homes. In some cases, this means placing them in boarding facilities or with vetted guardians where security is stronger. At the same time, APAM is lobbying authorities and partners to invest in secure-housing projects with reinforced doors, burglar bars, and community-based surveillance systems.
Beyond physical protection, APAM is conducting awareness campaigns aimed at dismantling the myths that drive violence. Working with chiefs, faith leaders, and local youth groups, activists hold community dialogues that confront harmful beliefs directly. In village meetings, survivors and families share testimonies, reframing albinism as a genetic condition rather than a mystical anomaly.
“These conversations are not easy,” Zacharia told FairPlanet. “But we have seen that when traditional leaders publicly reject the myths, attitudes begin to shift.”
The organisation is also pressing for the conclusion of more than 28 long-pending court cases involving murder and abduction. By monitoring proceedings and engaging legal-aid partners, APAM hopes to prevent cases from stalling indefinitely — a pattern that erodes public trust.
Kaiyatsa told FairPlanet that fear remains a major barrier to reporting threats. In rural areas, families often hesitate to approach police due to mistrust in the justice system and fear of retaliation.
According to him, the situation was further complicated by the controversial pardon of police officers previously convicted in connection with an albinism-related killing. For rights groups, the decision sent a damaging signal.
“To victims’ families, it suggested that justice can be undone,” Kaiyatsa told FairPlanet. “To would-be offenders, it reinforced the perception that accountability is not guaranteed.”
Michael Kaiyatsa
In response, CHRR and other organisations have stepped up advocacy for witness-protection mechanisms and independent monitoring of investigations. They are pushing Parliament and relevant ministries to allocate dedicated funding for protection programmes and to ensure that cases are prioritised within the judiciary.
REVIVING NATIONAL COMMITMENTS
Malawi once drew international praise for adopting a National Action Plan on the Protection of Persons with Albinism. However, the plan expired in 2022 and has yet to be renewed, leaving what activists describe as a dangerous coordination gap.
“Commitments on paper are not enough,” Zacharia says. “We need implementation that reaches the village level.”
REBUILDING TRUST FROM THE GROUND UP
On the ground, solutions are increasingly community-driven. In some districts, local committees made up of chiefs, police representatives, teachers, and activists meet regularly to assess risks and share information. Informal early-warning systems — such as community WhatsApp groups with coordinated night patrols-have been introduced in certain high-risk areas.
Civil society organisations are advocating for long-term assistance for affected families, including counselling, educational support for orphaned children, and income-generating projects for households that have lost breadwinners.
These initiatives aim not only to respond to attacks but to address their ripple-effects — school dropouts, psychological trauma, and deepening poverty.
A FRAGILE BUT DETERMINED PROGRESS
Organisations such as the Scotland Malawi Partnership insist that regression is not inevitable. They point to the increasing visibility of persons with albinism in advocacy spaces, media platforms, and leadership roles.
Flora Saidi, though still grieving, has participated in community meetings where she shares her story. Her testimony serves both as a warning and a call to action.
For Malawi, the struggle to protect persons with albinism is about more than ending ritual killings. It is about strengthening rural policing, restoring faith in the justice system, and dismantling centuries-old myths.
For people like Flora Saidi, safety is still uncertain, but hope lies in the quiet work happening in villages and communities across Malawi.
Their efforts may not end the attacks overnight. But for families living in fear, each community meeting, each court case and each safe home built is a step toward something simple with the chance to live an ordinary life without fear.
Warning: the article presented here contains graphic details which may upset readers.
On March 17, I posted Tanzania court upholds death sentence in rural murder. A Babati man who had been found guilty of murdering his stepson for ritualistic purposes heard the final verdict for his crime: the capital punishment.
A few days later, Joseph Muhuila, an Iringa man, was given the same sentence by the High Court of Tanzania: death by hanging, for killing his four-year-old son, Timothy Muhulila, allegedly for ritualistic practices. The cruel crime occurred on April 12, 2025.
Iringa Region is one of Tanzania‘s 31 administrative regions, located in the middle of this East African country, in size comparable to e.g. Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. In 2022 the region had a population of about 1.2 million people.
So, within a short space of time, the law in Tanzania dealt decisively with ritual murderers who have been found guilty. On the one hand, this shows beyond any doubt that ritual murder does indeed occur in this country of over 70 million inhabitants, spread across more than 120 different ethnic groups. (There was, incidentally, no doubt about this, as Tanzania is often in the news for the wrong reasons due to the abduction, mutilation and ritual murder of people with albinism. Also see my 2019 post on the precarious position, discrimination, kidnapping and murder of people with albinism in Tanzania.) On the other hand, it is also a hopeful sign that the country’s highest authorities are serious about prosecuting the perpetrators of these violent crimes, which are based on superstition, greed and contempt for the right to life of innocent people, sometimes small children or other vulnerable individuals. (webmaster FVDK)
Iringa man sentenced to death for killing four-year-old son in ritual killing case
Published: March 18, 2026 By: Friday Simbaya – The Citizen
King Mswati III (born in 1968, crowned king in 1986) is Africa’s last absolute monarch. He rules with his mother, Queen Nfombi. King Mswati III renamed his country then called Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018.
King Mswati III introduced a number of measures and changes which brought some relief to the country that had been ruled by his father, King Sobhuza II, with an iron fist since independence from the British in 1968. Officially, Sobhuza II was King of Swaziland for 82 years and 254 days, the longest verifiable reign of any monarch in recorded history.
King Mwsati’s s rule is not undisputed. In fact, his lifestyle and human rights violations have been criticized at several occasions. However, as the story below tells, he showed positive leadership – ‘leadership by example’ – in advocating the rights of people with albinism.
At various occasions I have drawn attention to the precarious position of people living with albinism in Africa. They are discriminated, bullied, attacked, and sometimes killed – murdered, as some people believe that their body parts can bring luck, wealth, prestige or power.
For this reason I wish to commend King Mswati III and the Queen mother for their precious example and I hope that the example given by Their Majesties will not only be followed by the people of Eswatini but also in neighboring g countries where the position of people with albinism is also threatened by prejudice an superstition. (webmaster FVDK)
King Mswati III
Cultural leadership confronts albinism discrimination head-on
People living with albinism together with those living with disabilities at the recently ended Incwala Ceremony. Eswatini customs and culture prohibited such communities of people from getting closer or inside royal residences. His Majesty King Mswati III has since changed this long-held custom to accommodate people living with albinism and disabilities (Pic: Sibusiso Shange)
Published: February 18, 2026 By: Khaya Simelane – Times of Eswatini
MBABANE – In Eswatini cultural visibility is becoming protection for people with albinism and a tool to dismantle stigmatisation.
A new breath of fresh air is changing and shaping the narrative around a community long confined to the periphery and deep fear.
For decades, thousands of Africans born with albinism have mastered the art of invisibility. Whether at communities, schools, sports and everywhere, they have, out of their will, been forced to remain invisible, even if against their will.
From a young age, they have been made to feel different. With many labels around them prevalent across African communities, none has driven them to remain invisible than the one recently introduced in which they are labelled ‘ma-Millions’.
This labelling, though sometimes uttered jokingly, relates to the widespread belief that the body parts of people living with albinism are ‘powerful’ to make one a millionaire.
According to Menzi Sukati, founder of the Albinism Society of Eswatini (ASESWA), the prevalent belief that people with their condition are sources of wealth is exactly what perpetuates their killing.
As a result, he said from a tender age, most commonly in the rural villages and crowded locations, they have grown up calculating risks before stepping outside, either to play or hang out with their peers.
Night travelling is strictly discouraged while during elections, many of them keep a low profile, he added.
This stems from an entrenched myth across the continent that has portrayed people with albinism as mystical beings whose body parts can generate wealth, political power or supernatural protection.
Those myths have fuelled ritual attacks, mutilations and killings that have left families traumatised and communities fractured.
King’s counter-image efforts
At last year’s Umhlanga Ceremony and again during the recently concluded Incwala, the country’s most sacred cultural ceremony, people living with albinism were visibly invited and welcomed.
According to Senior Archivist and Cultural Anthropologist Lethumusa Simelane, King Mswati III has once again stood in the moment of time and embodied inclusivity and Ubuntu.
Simelane stated that what the Monarch has done can not only be limited to only fighting stigmatisation against people with albinism.
Instead, the King has moved beyond the acceptable norm to harmoniously review and relax some of the country’s cultural traditional practices governing ceremonies and royal residences (tigodlo).
“When talking about what the King has done, we must never forget that growing up, we knew that certain people were not allowed closer or inside royal residences,” said the anthropologist.
He explained that culturally, such beliefs had nothing to do with the person’s natural being, however more with the foundational systems governing African monarchies.
“Therefore, the King, cognisant of the changing times reached the a difficult decision by appealing to the custodians of our culture and sought their permission to relax some of these practices. The King realised that he cannot be a King to some, while others are pushed away from him,” said Simelane.
The renowned Eswatini historian likened the King to the Biblical Christ, who, despite Jewish law and beliefs decided to defy and dine with people with leprosy.
The historian underscored that when respected leaders, like the King publicly contradict myths; they shift social norms more effectively than legislation alone.
In his remarks, he confidently stressed that the King had once again become the symbol of Ubuntu and a true father, sending a strong message that there was no place for uncultured beliefs in the kingdom.
Transformative
Simelane added that in a region where visibility can invite danger, the sight of them standing confidently at the centre of national tradition carried unusual weight.
He said for a community accustomed to the margins, standing at the heart of culture can be transformative. Against this continental backdrop, he said the kingdom’s recent cultural inclusion offers a sharply contrasting image.
Incwala is not just a festival in the casual sense. It is a deeply spiritual ceremony (prayer) centred on kingship, renewal and national unity.
Participation, therefore, signals belonging to the moral and cultural fabric of the nation.
In many African societies, stigma is often justified in the language of tradition. When harmful myths are rooted in culture, dismantling them requires trusted cultural authority.
In Eswatini, the monarchy remains one of the most influential institutions across rural chiefdoms and community structures.
The images of people with albinism participating in the recently ended Incwala Ceremony deserved to be applauded, and for the King to be formally appreciated, according to Simelane.
In a continent where some children with albinism have been relocated to boarding schools for protection, being publicly welcomed into a royal ceremony reframes belonging.
Myth
Albinism is a rare, genetically inherited condition characterised by little or no production of melanin in the skin, hair and eyes. It is non-contagious.
In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated one in 4 000 people are born with the condition, although prevalence varies by country.
The condition brings medical vulnerability, particularly to skin cancer and visual impairment in equatorial climates.
To every observer, the King has outdone the Tanzanian Government and instead of the courts he used culture to dismantle stereotypes around albinism.
According to an article by researcher Charlotte Baker published in The Conversation, human rights violations against people with albinism in Tanzania have included discrimination, verbal abuse, exclusion from education and health services, as well as killings, abductions, mutilations and even grave exhumations to obtain body parts for sale.
The violence has prompted Tanzanian and international civil rights groups to file a case before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights against the Government of Tanzania, arguing that it had failed to protect this minority.
The court found that, although some steps had been taken, the state violated the right to life by failing to protect them as required under Article 4 of the African Charter.
It also ruled that Tanzania breached the right to non-discrimination by not doing enough to combat myths and stereotypes.
The ruling ordered nationwide awareness campaigns for at least two years, amendments to the 1928 Witchcraft Act to criminalise attacks, implementation of a national action plan, improved access to health services including sunscreen and eye care, educational support, and the establishment of a compensation fund for victims.
Baker notes that since 2007 more than 700 attacks and killings across 28 countries have been reported to the Canadian organisation Under the Same Sun, although many cases go unrecorded.
In Tanzania alone, there have been 209 reported attacks since 2007.These numbers tell a story of fear that extends far beyond one country.
Government driving advocacy
Meanwhile, the Eswatini Government has intensified its efforts towards promoting the rights, welfare and inclusion of people with albinism.
On February 13, 2026, the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Senator Thuli Dladla received a donation of sunscreen lotions and protective lip balms donated by the kingdom’s TV station to people with albinism.
The DPM, when accepting the donations extended her appreciation to the Monarch for leading the way, noting that it was pleasing to see organisations and entities across the country take leaf and follow in the footsteps of the King and Queen Mother.
“The gesture by Their Majesties has affirmed to all and sundry that people with albinism are human too. Even the doubting Thomas’s that were pushing them away from Their Majesties and the country’s cultural practices have been silenced,” said the DPM.
Dladla mentioned that by extending the cultural space to people with albinism, the Monarch did more than host guests. It publicly affirmed that they are part of the kingdom’s identity.
According to Dladla, Simelane and Sukati, the King has done more than spearhead a law meant to protect, promotes and embrace people with albinism, as well as their rights.
Advocacy efforts have included sunscreen donations and awareness campaigns, recognising that ultraviolet exposure poses a serious health risk.
Without melanin, skin is highly susceptible to damage and untreated skin cancer can drastically reduce life expectancy.
The DPM further stressed that indeed inclusion of people with albinism at high-profile events must translate into action and policy.
A senior traditionalist when contacted stated that when the highest traditional authority in a country affirms the dignity of people with albinism, it sends a message to rural homesteads and urban neighbourhoods alike.
Commenting anonymously as no formal appreciation has been extended to Their Majesties as per culture; the traditionalist joyfully appreciated the inclusion of the albinism community in cultural activities in order to fight the stigma around them.
The well-known traditionalist mentioned that for a child born with albinism in the country today, the image of participation in Incwala or Umhlanga offered a counter-narrative to fear.
“Instead of being told to hide, that child can see proof of belonging,” he said.
Legal obligation
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations (UN) body mandated to promote and protect human rights globally, people with albinism continue to face widespread discrimination rooted in ignorance, superstition and harmful myths.
The OHCHR states that persons with albinism are often denied equal access to healthcare, education and legal protection. In some regions, they are reportedly subjected to extreme violence fuelled by false beliefs about their condition.
It emphasises that governments have a legal obligation to protect them, prosecute perpetrators of attacks and implement comprehensive strategies to eliminate stigma and discrimination.
In recognition of these challenges, the UN General Assembly proclaimed June 13, as International Albinism Awareness Day in 2014, observed annually since 2015.
The day seeks to raise global awareness about albinism, combat myths and misconceptions while further promoting the rights, dignity and inclusion of persons with the condition.
Through this international observance, the UN calls on states and communities to shift from silence and superstition to protection, awareness and meaningful inclusion reinforcing the principle that people with albinism are human beings entitled to life, equality and full participation in society.
Meanwhile, the African Union (AU) has adopted a strong human-rights-based approach to combat discrimination and violence against persons with albinism across the continent.
Through its Regional Action Plan on Albinism in Africa (2021–2031), formally adopted by the AU Executive Council in 2019, the continental body seeks to end attacks and other human rights violations targeting persons with albinism.
The framework focuses on four key pillars, namely; preventing attacks, protecting victims, ensuring accountability for perpetrators and promoting equality and non-discrimination.
The AU recognises albinism as a disability and situates protection measures within its broader disability rights framework, including the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa.
It also highlights the heightened vulnerability of women and children, calling on member states to implement specific protective measures.
In coordination with the United Nations and civil society organisations, the AU urges African governments to adopt national action plans, strengthen legal systems and intensify public awareness campaigns, particularly around International Albinism Awareness Day on June 13, to confront the root causes of stigma and violence.
Together, these continental and global efforts underscore a growing commitment to replace myth and marginalisation with protection, dignity and full inclusion.
Complacency
Still, some scholars across the continent have warned against romanticising the moment. Across Africa, attacks have sometimes declined only to resurface during periods of economic hardship or political contestation.
Election cycles in certain countries have historically coincided with spikes in ritual violence fuelled by rumours that charms made from body parts can secure victory. (Italics and bold letter-type added by the webmaster FVDK).
Structural inequality, unemployment and desperation create fertile ground for exploitative myths.
“The real test is whether people with albinism feel secure in remote communities, whether police respond swiftly to threats and whether courts prosecute offenders consistently,” noted one scholar.
The African Court’s ruling against Tanzania has set a legal precedent across the continent, signalling that states have enforceable obligations to protect persons with albinism. It reinforces that attacks rooted in superstition are not cultural nuances but human rights violations.
At the same time, Eswatini’s cultural inclusion demonstrates that tradition can be mobilised in defence of dignity.
Leo Igwe is a famous human rights activist, an indefatigable fighter against superstition, witchcraft and ritualistic murders. In 2020 he started Advocacy for Alleged Witches. In this blog he regularly publishes on the lives of those affected by superstition and his organization’s efforts to save and/or to improve their lives.
The list of his achievements is too long to cite here, for shortness sake readers are referred to the internet where he is widely present.
In a recent article published in Ghana Leo Igwe gives his views on witchcraft and the need to effectively fight superstition, not only in this West African country, but in all African countries. He does not hide his views and feelings, as will be clear when reading the following essay.
No need to elaborate further on his message. Let me invite you to start reading while praising Leo Igwe and the valuable work he’s doing! (webmaster FVDK)
Witchcraft accusations and critical thinking: combating harmful effects of dogma and superstitions in Africa
Published: October 28, 2024 By: Leo Igwe – GhanaWeb
Leo Igwe works and campaigns to foster critical thinking skills in schools
A shocking report on an innocent girl’s brutal death at the hands of unscrupulous, superstitious and criminal people. The crime took away the life of a young Tanzanian girl with albinism, and was committed in the Kagera region in north-west Tanzania.
Kagera region is bordered to the east by Lake Victoria. The region borders Uganda to the north, Rwanda and Burundi to the west, and the Tanzanian regions Kigoma to the south and Mwanza to the east. The region covers an area of 35,686 km2 and has a registered population of 3 million people according to the 2022 national census.
Unfortunately, Tanzania has a bad reputation as it comes to the treatment of people with albinism including discrimination, violent attacks and brutal murders having the highest number of reported attacks of all African countries. The girl’s murder is yet another example that this scourge has not disappeared or diminished in this East African country.
Meanwhile I commend the authorities for their swift action leading to the arrest of nine individuals suspected of involvement in the killing for ritual purposes of Asimwe Novath. May her soul rest in peace. (FVDK)
Tanzania: Child’s father, priest arrested in ritual killing of girl with albinism
Screenshot – for illustration purposes, see the original article
Published: June 20, 2024 By: The Citizen – NTV Kenya
Police Force has successfully apprehended nine individuals, including an Assistant Parish Priest and the biological father of Asimwe Novath, who are suspected of being involved in the murder of the child with albinism.
The child was abducted from her mother on May 30, 2024, in Bulamula village, Muleba District, Kagera region, and her body was found on June 17, 2024, in Makongora village, missing some of its parts.
A statement released by Police Spokesperson DCP David Misime explained that following the incident, the Police Force, in collaboration with concerned citizens who detest such inhumane acts, launched an intensive manhunt from May 31, 2024, until the night of June 19, 2024.
During this period, nine suspects were arrested with body parts believed to belong to Asimwe Novath, which were found stored in plastic bags as they sought a buyer.
The arrested suspects, who detailed their involvement in this incident, include the child’s biological father, Novart Venant, Desideli Evarist, a traditional healer residing in Nyakahama, and Elipidius Rwegoshora, the Assistant Parish Priest of Bugandika Parish.
Rwegoshora is alleged to have approached and convinced the child’s father to engage in the trade of human body parts.
He is also accused of finding the traditional healer and covering all the related costs.
Other suspects include Dastan Kaiza from Bushagara, Faswiru Athuman from Nyakahama, Gozibert Alkadi from Nyakahama Kamachumu, Rwenyagira Burkadi from Nyakahama Kamachumu, Ramadhani Selestine from Kamachumu, and Nurduni Hamada from Kamachumu.
The Police Force has issued a stern warning to individuals who indulge in superstitious beliefs, including fortune-telling, and persuade each other that they can attain wealth through such means, urging them to abandon these practices.
Zambia’s Eastern Province is notoriously known for its ritualistic murders. Allegedly, the country’s Eastern Province records the highest number of ritualistic murder cases.
I’ve posted earlier on the plight of people with albinism in Zambia and the attacks on and murder of innocent people in this remote province of Zambia. In 2019, within a short period of time, two murder cases were reported. In March the following year, another gruesome murder was committed in the Eastern Province. In Chipata, the mutilated body of the albino victim was discovered with tongue, eyes and arms missing. The Executive Director of the National Albinism Initiative Network of Zambia, Ruth Zulu, deplored the stigmatization, discrimination and murder of people and published a plea for a legal framework to address this nationwide problem. In vain. The murders continued as the article below painfully demonstrates.
Katerina Mildnerova, a Czech social and cultural anthropologist, and Antonio Costa, an independent photojournalist originally from Mozambique, are to be commended for their initiative. Read more about their cry for help and protection of people living with albinism in Zambia below. (FVDK)
The plight of people with albinism in Zambia – a cry for protection and assistance
Published: May 10, 2024 By: Znesnáze – Olomouc / Organizer: Nadační fond pomoci
In the middle of the night, there was a pounding on the door. “Open up, Zambian police!” I see four masked men. They broke into the house where I was sleeping with my children. They pointed guns at me and threatened me, “If you scream, we’ll kill you.” Two of them dragged me behind the house and held a gun to my head. Then I heard a terrible scream. “Mommy, mommy, they chopped my sister’s arm!” My son sobbed with tears. At that moment, those two men threw me to the ground and started to run away. I came into the room and saw my daughter in a pool of blood…”
The brutal attack on little Jemimah took place in June 2021 in the Northern Province of Zambia. The two-year-old girl lost her right arm, which was chopped off by unknown attackers with a machete. This case has not yet been investigated by the Zambian police and none of the attackers have been persecuted and sentenced. Jamimah lives with other children with albinism in an orphanage in the capital Lusaka. In the same year two other nine-year-old boys were ritually attacked and mutilated. One lost his right arm, the other his fingers.
These stories are just some of the many we encountered during our research in 2023.
Since 2015, Zambia has faced an increasing number of abductions, mutilations and ritual killings of people with albinism, in most cases defenceless children. Their body parts are used for making magical objects that are supposed to provide their owners with wealth, power or prestige. While these murders are most often committed by family members of the victims while still in Zambia, body parts are smuggled through organised crime networks into neighbouring countries – Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. The largest number of ritual killings of albinos occur in the Eastern Province, the poorest region of Zambia. The victims of the attacks, if they manage to escape, continue to live in permanent fear for their lives, as the perpetrators are not prosecuted in the vast majority of cases. After an attack, children are placed in state orphanages, where they receive temporary protection, they are removed from their natural family environment and have to cut off contact with their parents and siblings.
In addition to the threat to their safety, people with albinism face enormous health risks due to the lack of medication and protective equipment. Skin and eye cancer is the most common cause of their premature deaths. Albinos in Zambia live to an average age of only 40 years, 22 years less than the national average.
Most affected families live at or below the extreme poverty line. They cannot afford to provide education for their children because safety and health care must understandably take priority. Families lack the means to afford school supplies, school uniforms or even just the dioptric glasses necessary for reading and writing at school. Yet education is the ticket to a better future, without the daily fear for one’s survival. In Zambia, there is a belief that a child with albinism is the result of infidelity and the source of a family curse, which unfortunately often leads to the mother and child being abandoned by the father and the wider family. A single mother‘s status is inevitably linked to a life of poverty and it is very difficult for her to break this vicious cycle.
FUNDRAISING
Fundraising is ongoing via the crowdfunding platform Znesnaze21 from May to September 2024. It is aimed at purchasing direct material assistance for the most vulnerable families living below the extreme poverty line in the Eastern Province of Zambia (single mothers, children, victims of ritual attacks). The purchase and transportation of the material aid will be arranged by the organizer of the fundraiser in collaboration with the Butterfly Foundation of Zambia – a non-profit organization that has assisted the most adversely affected families with albinism in the Eastern Province of Zambia since 2017.
Our assistance targets three main areas:
Security. Ensuring the protection of homes – security locks on doors, window bars and fencing
Health. Prevention of skin cancer – sunscreen factor 50+, sunglasses, hats
Education. Basic school supplies – notebooks, stationery, uniforms and dioptric glasses
ABOUT THE BORN DIFFERENT PROJECT
Born Different is a project by the Czech anthropologist Katerina Mildnerova and the Mozambican photojournalist Antonio Cossa under the auspices of Palacky University in Olomouc. It is based on the creative linking of art and science, cultural anthropology and photography and draws on a series of team fieldworks in Zambia and Benin (2023-2024). It includes a travelling photographic exhibition, lectures and forthcoming popular science book.
Our primary aim is to raise public awareness about injustice, discrimination and human rights violations against people with albinism in Africa, particularly in Zambia. We want to stimulate a discussion about protecting the lives and rights of people with albinism in order to stop the violence and ritual killings that happen every day and which do not receive adequate attention. We are also endeavouring to help to improve their extremely difficult living conditions through public charitable fundraising efforts.
Katerina Mildnerova is Czech social and cultural anthropologist specializing in sub-Saharan Africa. She holds a PhD in ethnology from the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Since 2015 she has been working as a researcher and assistant professor at the Department of Sociology, Andragogy and Cultural Anthropology at Palacky University Olomouc. Since 2019 she is the president of the Czech Association of African Studies. She has conducted dozens of field researches in Zambia, Benin and Namibia and has lectured at several universities in Africa and Europe. She specializes in religious anthropology and medical anthropology. She is the author of dozens of academic articles and book chapters and five monographs of her own. She is co-author of the documentary film Black Czechs (2022) and founder of non-governmental organization Association for Support of Namibian Czechs. She is currently working on the project Born different with Antonio Cossa.
ANTONIO COSSA
An independent photojournalist originally from Mozambique, based in Prague. He has worked as a documentary photographer since 2004, collaborating with institutions such as the British Council and UNICEF. He has had a rich professional career focusing on war, refugee crisis and social issues. His work specializes in war conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, the refugee crisis on the Greek-Turkish border, documenting the situation of the Rohingya in Bangladesh and the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, he has been officially accredited by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence as a war photojournalist. In recent years he has also photographed climate refugees in Mozambique after Cyclone Idai. His latest project focuses on albino survivors of ritual attacks in Zambia. He is also a portrait photographer and has photographed many of the world’s most famous people, including Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Vaclav Havel,
His portfolio includes dozens of exhibitions around the world, lectures and workshops for students and the general public. Antonio Cossa is also a founder of the non-governmental organization Frontline Care whose main objective is to support victims of climate change and war refugees.
The article presented below, written by the famous Nigerian human rights activist and humanist Dr. Leo Igwe, is a must-read. His manifesto is highly recommended to all readers. It is more than a reflection, it is more than a plea, it is more than a cry – for change or for understanding. As Dr. Igwe writes: “Africans must begin to think freely in order to ‘emancipate themselves from mental slavery’ and generate ideas that can ignite the flame of an African enlightenment.” And Dr. Igwe is not alone, he is not the only one who firmly believes this approach is the only way for Africa and Africans to move forward – as can be concluded from the list of African endorsers and other endorsers from around the world, presented at the end of his article.
Enough words written to recommend a piece that you shouldn’t miss! Enjoy the reading, and … spread the word!
PS Unfortunately, a few links in the original article are broken and/or not working properly (webmaster FVDK).
A Manifesto for a Skeptical Africa
What are the prospects for a more secular Africa, more skeptical Africa, more scientific Africa, i.e., a more humanistic Africa?
For too long, African societies have been identified as superstitious, consisting of people who cannot question, reason or think critically. Dogma and blind faith in superstition, divinity and tradition are said to be the mainstay of popular thought and culture. African science is often equated with witchcraft and the occult; African philosophy with magical thinking, myth-making and mysticism, African religion with stone-age spiritual abracadabra, African medicine with folk therapies often involving pseudoscientific concoctions inspired by magical thinking. Science, critical thinking and technological intelligence are portrayed as Western — as opposed to universal — values, and as alien to Africa and to the African mindset. An African who thinks critically or seeks evidence and demands proofs for extraordinary claims is accused of taking a “white” or Western approach. An African questioning local superstitions and traditions is portrayed as having abandoned or betrayed the essence of African identity. Skepticism and rationalism are regarded as Western, un-African, philosophies. Although there is a risk of overgeneralizing, there are clear indicators that the continent is still socially, politically and culturally trapped by undue credulity.
Many irrational beliefs exist and hold sway across the region. These are beliefs informed by fear and ignorance, misrepresentations of nature and how nature works. These misconceptions are often instrumental in causing many absurd incidents, harmful traditional practices and atrocious acts. For instance, not too long ago, the police in Nigeria arrested a ‘robber’ goat which they said was a thief who suddenly turned to a goat. A Nigerian woman was reported to have given birth to a horse. In Zambia, a local school closed temporarily due to fears of witchcraft. In Uganda, there are claims of demonic attacks in schools across the country. Persecution and murder of alleged witches continue in many parts of the continent. Many Africans still believe that their suffering and misfortune are caused by witchcraft and magic. In Malawi, belief in witchcraft is widespread. Ritual killing and sacrifice of albinos and other persons with disabilities take place in many communities, and are motivated by paranormal belief. Across Africa people still believe in the potency and efficacy of juju and magic charms. Faith-based abuses are perpetrated with impunity. Jihadists, witch-hunters and other militants are killing, maiming and destroying lives and property. Other-worldly visions and dogmatic attitudes about the supernatural continue to corrupt and hamper attempts by Africans to improve their lives. Even with the continent’s ubiquitous religiosity, many African states are to be found at the bottom of the Human Development Index and on the top of the poverty, mortality and morbidity indices.
Recently Africa was polled as the most devout region in the world, and this includes deep devotion to the continent’s various harmful superstitions. Devoutness and underdevelopment, poverty, misery and superstition co-exist and co-relate. It should be said that the dominant religious faiths in the region are faiths alien to the continent. That means African Christians are more devout than Europeans whose missionaries brought Christianity to Africa. African Muslims are more devout than Muslims in the Middle East, whose jihadists and clerics introduced Islam to the region.
Meanwhile, whatever good these foreign belief systems may have brought to or done in Africa can only be unfavorably compared to the damage and darkness they have caused and are still causing in the region. Some paranormal or supernatural claims of the two main religions of Christianity and Islam are part of the factors holding Africans hostage. Most Africans cannot think freely or express their doubts openly because these religions have placed a huge price on freethinking and critical inquiry. Because these belief systems rely on paranormal claims themselves, Africans feel they cannot speak out against superstition as a whole, or they will be ostracized or even killed by religious zealots. Belief in demonic possession, faith healing, and the “restorative” power of holy water can have deadly consequences for believers and whole communities. Africans must reject superstitious indoctrination and dogmatization in public institutions. Africans need to adopt this cultural motto: Dare to think. Dare to doubt. Dare to question everything in spite of what the superstitious around you teach and preach.
Africans must begin to think freely in order to ‘emancipate themselves from mental slavery’ and generate ideas that can ignite the flame of an African enlightenment.
The two dominant religions have fantastic rewards for those who cannot think, the intellectually conforming, unquestioning and obedient, even those who kill or are killed furthering their dogmas. They need to be told that the skeptical goods — the liberating promises of skeptical rationality — are by far more befitting and more beneficent to Africans than imaginary rewards either in the here and now or in the hereafter. Today the African continent has become the new battleground for the forces of a dark age. And we have to dislodge and defeat these forces if Africa is to emerge, grow, develop and flourish. To some people, the African predicament appears hopeless. The continent seems to be condemned, doomed and damned. Africa appears to be in a fix, showing no signs of change, transformation and progress. An African enlightenment sounds like a pipe dream.
But I do not think this is the case — an African Age of Reason can be on the horizon! The fact is that there are many Africans who reason well and think critically. There are Africans who are skeptics and rationalists1. But active African skeptics are too few and far apart to form the critical mass the continent needs to experience a Skeptical Spring. Nonetheless, the momentum is building slowly and steadily. And one can say that an African skeptical awakening is in sight. As it is said: the darkest part of the night precedes the dawn. So there is no need to despair for humanity in Africa. There is every reason to be optimistic and hopeful. After all, Europe went through a very dark period in its history, in fact, a darker and more horrible phase than that which Africa is currently undergoing. Still the European continent survived to experience Enlightenment and modern civilization. Who ever thought that the Arab Spring would happen in our lifetime? So, African enlightenment can happen sooner than we expected. But it will not happen as a miracle. African enlightenment will not fall like manna from heaven. It requires — and will continue to require — hard work, efforts, sacrifice, courage and struggle by Africans and other friends who are committed to the values of enlightenment. In Europe, skeptics spoke out against harmful superstition, and unfounded dogma and caused the dawn of a new awakening. African skeptics need to speak out against the forces of dogma, irrationalism and superstition ravaging the continent. Skeptics need to organize and mobilize — online and offline — to further the cause of reason, science and critical thinking. They need to speak out in the media and to politicians about the harm resulting from undue credulity and challenge and confront the charlatans directly to put up or shut up. Skeptics can no longer afford to keep quiet or remain indifferent in the face of a looming dark age. They need to campaign for a reform of the educational system and encourage the teaching of critical thinking in schools.
Many charlatans operate out there in their communities. They ‘mine’ popular fears and anxieties, exploiting desperate, misinformed folks. We need to expose them and free our people from their bondage. African skeptics cannot remain passive and inactive and expect skeptical rationality to thrive and flourish or expect the forces of dogma and superstition to simply disappear. The situation requires active engagement by committed skeptics. That was how the much-talked-about skeptical tradition in the Western world was established and is sustained.
That is how we are going to build and leave a skeptical legacy for Africa.
This is a call to duty to all African skeptics in Africa and in the diaspora. History has thrust on us this critical responsibility which we must fulfill. Let us therefore marshal our will to doubt, to advance skepticism in the interest of Africa. Let us marshall other intellectual resources and cause this new dawn — this skeptical awakening to happen early in this 21st century.
African skeptics arise.
1 Skeptical and rationalist groups are gaining ground in Africa. Here are a few worth supporting:
African Endorsers George Thindwa, Executive Director, Association for Secular Humanism, Malawi Mandla Ntshakala, Activist, Swaziland Jacques Rousseau, Lecturer, University of Cape Town, South Africa Ebou Sohna, Gambia Secular Assembly, Gambia Graham Knight, Humanist Association of Ghana, Accra Ghana Olajide Akeredolu MD, Lagos, Nigeria Jes Petersen, Director, Springboard Humanism, Botswana Wilfred Makayi, Humanist Activist, Zambia James Ibor, Attorney, Basic Rights Counsel, Calabar, Nigeria Robert Bwambale, Founder & Executive Director, Kasese United Humanist Association, Uganda Kato Mukasa, HALEA, Kampala, Uganda
Other Endorsers from Around The World
James Randi, Founder, James Randi Educational Foundation, USA Michael Shermer, Executive Director, Skeptics Society, USA Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, USA D.J. Grothe, President, James Randi Educational Foundation, USA Paul Kurtz, Founder, Institute for Science and Human Values, USA Toni Van Pelt, Policy Director, Institute for Science and Human Values Hemant Mehta, Blogger, Friendly Atheist Susan Sackett, Writer and Vice President of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, USA Sonja Eggerickx President, International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), Belgium Josh Kutchinsky, founder and co-moderator Hummay, International Humanists Support egroup Ophelia Benson, Author and Blogger, USA Guy P. Harrison, Writer, USA Ike Francis, Human Rights Activist, USA Lorann Sims-Nsimba, Africa Awake Freethought Alliance, USA Matt Cherry, International Representative, International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) Bob Churchill – International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), UK Norm Allen, International Outreach Director, Institute for Science and Human Values, USA Dr Bill Cooke, Director of International Programs for the Center for Inquiry, USA Canberra Skeptics Inc, Australia Australian Skeptics (Victorian Branch) John Perkins, The Secular Party of Australia
