Commission outraged at killing of albino woman

22 August 2015 - 16:15 By RDM News Wire

The Commission for Gender Equality has expressed its “outrage” at the killing of a woman with albinism‚ Thandazile Mpunzi‚ whose mutilated body was discovered in a shallow grave in northern Kwazulu-Natal a week ago. The victim had been reported missing by her family earlier this month.Four men‚ one of them a preacher‚ appeared in the Emanguzi Magistrate’s Court this week on charges of abducting‚ killing and chopping up the 20-year-old woman. The case was postponed to August 25.In a statement‚ the Commission for Gender Equality said: “It is despicable that at this day and age there people that believe that killing people with albinism will bring them luck or help strengthen their medicine. The mutilated body of Thandazile which was discovered on the shallow grave points to gruesome and painful death suffered at the hands of her attackers.“It is unfortunate that the incident happens in the year in which the first Commemoration of World Albinism Day after the United Nations having declared 13 June as the day to dispel the myths and stigma faced by people with albinism around the world‚” it added.“The Commission calls upon citizenry within South Africa to respect the rights of people with Albinism as their rights are also enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. As the Commission‚ we call upon the justice system to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime against Thandazile receive the punishment that would serve as a deterrent to others.“We cannot as people to allow the vulnerable people of our society in this case Albinos to suffer human rights violation and social exclusion due to the harmful beliefs associated with albinism.”..

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