- Stay Connected
Socialize
Albino Killed, Arm Chopped In Lusaka
A 36-year-old albino man of Mandevu in Lusaka has died after his right forearm was cut off and his body was found yesterday in Lusaka’s Zani Muone West area in what police sources, friends and family suspect was for ritual purposes.
Jeffrey Sikanyai’s body was found around 06:00 hours by some residents of Zani Muone West, just a few metres away from the road leading to the Kingdom Hall, with his forearm missing.
“The murder looks like it’s for ritual purposes. That is what our initial investigations indicate. It’s like they used an axe to cut off his right forearm,” said a police officer who declined to be named as he is not authorised to speak.
“It is the residents who reported the case around 06:00 hours. But it looks like he was killed sometime after 20:00 hours [on Tuesday]. Some of the residents say they saw him in a sitting position just beside the road around 20:00 hours, but they thought he was just drunk.
“From where his body was found, and where he stays in Mandevu, there is a distance. But he is reported to be well-known at Mandevu junction where he hangs around. It looks like it is these same cases of rituals.”
In East Africa where albinism is prevalent, people born without pigment in their skin are thought to possess special powers with the myth being that their body parts bring good luck to others.
A 2009 report by the International Federation of Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies indicated that a complete set of body parts from an albino, including “all four limbs, genitals, ears, tongue and nose,” can bring in up to US$75,000 on the black market.
The United Nations Human Rights Council in their 2013 report says, for years, superstitions have incited ritual attacks against albinos, with witch doctors using their body parts in potions to bring good fortune to those who are willing to pay for it.
“Some even believe that the witchcraft ritual is more powerful if the victim screams during the amputation, so body parts are often cut from live victims, especially children,” the report says.
In Zambia, cases of albinos being killed are rare although a little over six months ago, a 37-year-old albino woman of Lundazi was murdered by four suspected ritual killers who cut off her right hand and plucked out her teeth.
The death of Sikanyai, whose body was taken to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) mortuary around 10:00 hours, has shocked his close friends and family.
“We were with him at home yesterday [Tuesday] and he only left around 16:00 hours. He normally hangs around the bus stop. He doesn’t go far, not even in town. He doesn’t even sleep out, even if he goes out drinking with his friends, he always comes home to sleep in his room. If he doesn’t eat his food at night, he will eat early in the morning,” his cousin Edgar Munemu explained to the Daily Mail at the family home in Mandevu where mourners are gathered.
“He is well-known in the area, and the woman who stays near where the body was found is the one who informed us in the morning. We brought the body home and took pictures here. It looks like they used an axe. It also looks like there was a distance from where he was axed and where he died. We don’t know what happened, but his left hand was found holding on to the axed hand.”
Another cousin Florence Kanyayi, who attended school with Sikanyai at Lotus Primary School in Lusaka’s Kamwala, said they were shocked by the death as he was very friendly.
“We wouldn’t say he had any enemies. He was friendly with most people. Also, his movements and whereabouts were predictable. He would wake up around 05:00 hours to go to the bus stop at Mandevu police post,” said Kanyayi, who was in the presence of Sikanyai’s only brother Talent, also an albino.
“He came yesterday with a ‘swine’, which was torn. He even asked the mother to mend it because he said he wanted to wear it on Christmas.”
Posted by
mj banda
December 24, 2015 at 3:07 am
Elections are around the corner and HH has started sacrificing people.
Czar
December 24, 2015 at 7:36 am
Nonsense. You are no better than your nemesis NEZ who sees PF in everything.
New Educated Zambia©❤√
December 24, 2015 at 8:29 am
Kikikikiki ukose..read my comment below you dull chap
Judge Joe Bidden
December 24, 2015 at 5:19 pm
Naimwe ba Banda how do you sink this low I know you are capable of such utterances but ifintu fimo you need to act above such reasoning
Denkete
December 24, 2015 at 5:09 am
This is very sad!!!! Human beings!!!!!
observer
December 24, 2015 at 7:52 am
Too bad , my deepest sympathy goes to the family for the untimely death of a dear colleague.
New Educated Zambia©❤√
December 24, 2015 at 8:29 am
Very stupid comment above. This is a case of failed sensitization and lack of education priority by pf government. It’s well known that most zambians have a belief that body parts of albino have powers for use in rituals etc. When you have a government that does not prioritise education. This is what happens.
James Bond 007
December 24, 2015 at 9:13 am
This is sad, very sad indeed, Ba Police please do yur job. This case must not die like the Ruth Mbandu case.
nelson mutelo
December 24, 2015 at 10:16 am
nez u are one of the genius persons zambia has ever had..i love and like the way u silence dudderhead [paga family cadres/how always choirize and eurogize naive people like mumbi phiri,ck,chilufya tayali plus the visionless pf leader ecl ..keep it up bro viva upnd.
CoolCat
December 24, 2015 at 1:26 pm
Are you for real? Hello? Get yourself educated or stop abusing banned substances.
New Educated Zambia©❤√
December 24, 2015 at 7:08 pm
indeed mune. I give these chaps fact based politics and reasoning. ALl they do is insult me and call me names because that is what empty tins do. Just like kambwili who makes alot of noise but says nothing
ppz
December 24, 2015 at 1:25 pm
Too bad.may his soul rest in peace.
Judge Joe Bidden
December 24, 2015 at 5:22 pm
Sad if this thing is now creeping into our society. MHSRIP
Kamata
December 24, 2015 at 6:51 pm
Poor albinos what a pity! So sad.
bazman
December 25, 2015 at 1:43 am
this z really bad for our friends,i sugest the gvmnt puts up a structure,organize these pipo,put them in one place nd protect them just like orphans & old aged are kept @ cheshya homes .
Proboscis
December 25, 2015 at 5:34 pm
this is common practice in tanzania & burundi. our albinos need to be educated on this evil and be protected 100% otherwise this may not be the happening. there are too many foreigners and of all shades in this country.
Silencer
December 25, 2015 at 9:23 pm
Very sad development, in the past we used to hear such things from East Africa. Now they are happening in Zambia.No one in his or her sound mind can justify such an evil act. We know under the PF regime everything is falling apart but for humans to go to these limits it’s very un fortunate.
May the soul of this man rest in eternal peace.
ba boss
December 26, 2015 at 8:24 am
albino ‘s be alarmed people wants to get rich but mu Zambia sad news rip .
mazabuka central
December 26, 2015 at 11:17 am
These things didn’t start today in pf govt but I wander how some people like nez Nelson mutelo think, more over we hear much evil names within your party you always want to sale you are the people who are making sure that people suffer so that you win the popularity let me tell you that it will never work
Hiz Excellence
December 26, 2015 at 1:51 pm
where are we going? sure jst looking at your friend you see profit.this is inhuman.i even wonder why our newspapers accommodate their advertisements like”power in the church”