Times Of Swaziland: DPM to call albinos to indaba

DPM to call albinos to indaba
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SIBONGILE SUKATI on 23/09/2010 00:00:00


MBABANE — Following the recent killings of albino children, government, in
particular the Deputy Prime Minister, has decided to pay special attention to
Swazis with albinism, to get to know them better.
The DPM, Themba Masuku, has proposed having a luncheon with all the albinos in
the country, where he would get a chance to listen to their problems.
According to the DPM, last week he met with one albino, had an extensive talk
with him and was hurt and shocked at some of the things he heard.
“Albinos are hurting and one can never appreciate what they go through until
such a time that one really speaks to them,” he said.
He said the gentleman he met with even mentioned that he, in particular, and
others found the Swazi term for them, ‘inkawu’, very discriminatory.
Two albino children aged 11 were killed in the Shiselweni Region in cases which
police believe are related to ritual purposes.
In the most recent incident, a girl was shot dead in front of her friends and
beheaded after being grabbed by a man near a river where the children were
playing.
The DPM said this was meant to be a social meeting in which he hoped the albinos
would be able to voice their concerns or just give personal testimonies of
whatever experiences they had in life.
The DPM said maybe this would also show that they were okay with their lives.
He said it was a pity if perhaps felt they had been neglected and said it was
disheartening that there was suddenly a focus on them, only because of the
recent murders.
“They are hurting and it is very important for my office and society in
general to do their part to ensure they are all treated as equally human, which
they are,” he said.
The DPM said he did not know if it was possible to change the Siswati name that
they had been labelled with but said probably a way forward could be mapped out
after the meeting.
He said he was still organising the logistics for the meet but hoped that it
would be soon.
Masuku pleaded with the media and the public to ensure that the culprits were
apprehended and said this matter should not die a natural death because the
culprits would think they had gotten off scot free.
Last week at the opening of the Hluthi Magistrates’ Court and police station,
the Prime Minister, Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini, also spoke against the killing of
albinos.
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Comments
To the editor May I once again appeal to this newspaper to refrain from labeling
people according to their physiological, structural or even colour disorder or
whatever you refer to it. I don’t know if it is for money making reasons or
for making us feel bad? But this is way out of order. I would cite an example,
would you call someone who has lost his leg or had one of his legs deformed a "
one legged man" as far as I am concerned you would rather call everyone by their
names or even refer to the disorder and not make the disorder a name. Education
should start with how the media report issues or stories and goes on to how they
cover up and describe incidents in a way that the public learns from such an
influential type of institution and refrain from wrong doings. I believe the
employees in the media are not fully aware of how they can either build or
destroy the community and or nation. I would therefore in conclusion state that
what you write has a great impact on how certain individuals choose to do
things. What is in the newspaper has the power to influence how an individual
chooses to act on a particular day. If the media has negative sentiments about a
certain issue the influence into the readers' actions goes far than one can
imagine. I don’t want to go down the road and hear a child or drunk call me an
albino just because that is what the Times of Swaziland has chosen to refer to
me. I am personally ok if you say 'persons with albinism' persons living with
HIV/AIDS and not AIDS people or one legged people' they are people with
disabilities and it is ok. Please take me seriously this once. Thank you
Nicollete
Sep 23, 2010, 2:50 PM, Nicollete Mhlanga (nicolletemhlanga@yahoo.co.uk)