Albinos are part of our community

This is the message that the Caswell Stop Men Abuse Movement (CSMA) wants to put out in the community.

After embarking on door-to-door campaigns, the organisation made shocking finding of albinos being killed and subjected to hate crimes because of their disorder.

According to Caswell Gxowa, founder of the organisation, they came across a number of cases where albinos were brutally killed and raped for personal gain.

“This brought tears and pain to our hearts as community activists, which has led us to start a campaign against albino killings.

“We also witnessed the fact that they don’t have a voice in the community because they are continuously discriminated against and ostracised,” says Gxowa.

Sipho Mkhwanazi, co-ordinator of the campaign, elaborates that these hate crimes come about due to myths that some community members believe about albinos.

He alleges that some sangomas and nyanga are the reason why people believe in such myths, which are one of the contributing factors to the killings.

“Some sangomas tell people that albinos can cure HIV/Aids when you engage in sexual intercourse with them and some say their body parts may make one rich.

“We came across a teenage girl who was allegedly kidnapped and raped by three men who were infected with HIV and hoped they would be cured from the disease after raping her.

“These are some of the cases we have come across but what about the ones we haven’t heard about?” he says.

CSMA is on a quest to try and educate and put to rest the myths about albinos through workshops and awareness campaigns that will be running in weeks to come.

Chairperson of the Traditional Healers Organisation, Tsakane branch, Janet Xaba says traditional healers are against albino killings.

“We as healers don’t advise people to kill or abuse albinos for healing or profitable gains; that is not how we have been trained.

“Albinos don’t have any supernatural powers. They are humans just like everyone else.

“Sangomas are healers and not witches, and people who kill and abuse are criminals and should be dealt with by the law,” said Xaba.