A teacher in Malawi has been caught allegedly trying to sell an albino schoolgirl to a Tanzanian businessman for $10,000 USD. Photo: Facebook
A teacher in Malawi has been caught allegedly attempting to sell an albino schoolgirl to a Tanzanian businessman.
The primary school teacher was caught by police in the northern city of Mzuzu on Tuesday.
“[The suspect] was caught by police on his way to selling the girl to an alleged Tanzanian businessman for six million Kwacha ($10,000 USD),” says police spokesperson Maurice Chapola.
The teacher claimed the high-school aged student was his girlfriend.
Last Thursday, a 56 year old Kenyan albino was attacked by thieves in his home.
“When I told them I had no money, they asked for an ear or hand to sell in Tanzania,” says Enock Jamenya, who was badly wounded before the attackers were interrupted.
Earlier this year, Tanzania’s mistreatment of albinos came into the spotlight, with the High Commissioner of Canada to Tanzania saying the number of albino killings are so high it undermines the entire country’s reputation.
As politicians seek the advice of witch doctors for good fortune at the polls “it could be a dangerous year for people living with albinism,” the United Nations resident coordinator Alvaro Rodriguez stated in February.
Approximately 80 people with albinism have been killed in Tanzania since 2005 and the UN estimates that nine albinos have been killed in Malawi since December 2014.
