eMalahleni residents woke up to gloomy news of abduction of the two children.
KINGDOM MABUZA
eMalahleni mayor Lindiwe Ntshalintshali is speechless at the unfortunate episode against the most ostracised and vulnerable group in society after the kidnapping of a child with albinism in the township of Hlalanikahle and another, mistaken to also be an albino.
Gabisile Shabane (13) and 15 month old Nkosikhona Ngwenya were abducted on Sunday morning (28 Jan 2018) and cops are appealing to anybody with information to come forward.
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Gabisile is living with albinism and it is suspected that the three men who broke into their home on the Sunday night, also targeted Nkosikhona, whom they mistook for another baby who also lives with albinism in the family.
“Cases of kidnapping of people living with albinism are rife in Tanzania, and lately in KwaZulu Natal and there has been a surge of cases of kidnapping in general here in eMalahleni,” Ntshalintshali said.
“But we suspect that the kidnapping of these two children is related to superstitious belief,” she said.
“I hope that police will apprehend those behind the kidnapping.
“There has been stories of people living with albinism being murdered for their body parts and these children have a right to life like any other child,” the mayor said on Wednesday this week.
“The false belief that their body parts have extraordinary powers must be eradicated, albinism is a genetically inherited condition,” said Ntshalintshali.
*Mabuza is the communication manager in the mayor’s office.
