Mbhoro slams albino killings

Controversial Kathorus prophet and leader of the Incredible Happenings Ministries, Paseka “Mbhoro” Motsoeneng has added his voice against the growing phenomenon of the abduction and murder of people with albinism for witchcraft.

This follows recent news reports about the appearance of three KZN men, among them a witch doctor, for the murder of a young girl with albinism in Manguzi, northern KwaZulu-Natal. The four are accused of killing and dismembering a 20-year-old albino woman last August. News of the case, seen by many on TV, has spread like wildfire through several informal townships around Kathorus, leading to panic among families whose members have albinism.

“This is demonic,” said Mbhoro, who described albinos, or maswefa, as people with albinism are referred to in seSotho, as “ordinary human beings who are no different from any other human being”.

He continued, “Their blood is no different from ours, therefore they should not be regarded as special or eligible to be used for muthi by those who believe them to be different from us.” Mbhoro said the belief should be condemned by all God-fearing people.

Adding his condemnation of the belief that people with albinism possess some form of power, chief Mluleki Jali of the Batlokwa and founding leader of the Gauteng East Traditional Council blasted the killings and said no one had the right to kill another person based on cultural beliefs. “People with albinism are human like all of us and their condition does not make them different from the rest of us. There is definitely no truth in what people say and believe about albinos,” he said.

The KZN murder case, which has been closely watched by families with albino children and relatives in other provinces has also fuelled rumors of marauding thugs hired by witch doctors to search for and abduct albinos for muthi purposes. The belief behind the attacks is that people with albinism possess supernatural powers and that flesh from certain parts of their bodies, when mixed with muthi, can bring enormous wealth, power and influence.

The rumor has fanned fear in families with children and relatives with albinism around Kathorus. As a result, young children with albinism are no longer seen playing freely and openly with their peers on the streets as many parents fear for their children’s safety. Others have since decided to move their children to relatives and families in distant places, away from where they think they could easily be harmed.

Three families around Kathorus who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of their lives and those of their family members, told Kathorus MAIL, that they have been forced to relocate their albino children to live with relatives elsewhere. “There is just too much tension right now and for my own peace of mind, I have decided that *Karabo should go and stay with my parents at our rural homestead in Limpopo,” said the 39-year-old mother of three-year-old *Karabo, who was born with albinism in April 2013.

*Kethiwe, the mother of 12-year-old *Mbali said she had to relocate her daughter to live with relatives closer to her special needs school at an unnamed location. “At least I’m more comfortable with her being close to her school than having to travel between school and home every morning and afternoon and risk being exposed to potential kidnappers and witch doctors who might see her as a potion to make them rich,” she said.

*Sam, *Claudia and *Mahlasela of Vosloorus pleaded that their identities and that of their young son, *Qhawe not to be revealed. “We see *Qhawe as no different from our other three children, but what we fear is that he could be a potential target of a crazy lunatic,” said *Sam, a self-employed motor mechanic, who keeps his second youngest albino son with him at all times.

Meanwhile the SAPS in the Kathorus cluster, said they have received no reports of albinos being abducted or attacked in the area. Capt Mega Ndobe, spokesperson for the cluster, told Kathorus MAIL that none of the police stations within the cluster have had reports linked to people with albinism.

* The people interviewed have requested that their real names be withheld.