many African societies, being an Albino is a spell “taboo”. They are generally seen as a kind of Phantom or Ghost who never dies and disappears after living for a while. One out of every twenty thousand person in the world is an Albino. Scientifically, Albinism is a condition in which the sufferers are plagued by an innate lack of melanin, a pigmentation deficiency in the hair, skin and eyes that causes vulnerability to sun exposure and bright light. The majority of them have poor vision as a result and in tropical countries especially they can be in danger of having skin cancers when exposed to the sun.
In most African countries, Albinos are believed to have supernatural powers and are generally feared, shunned or socially marginalised and stigmatized. The myth that albino body parts are effective in witchcraft rituals has resulted to the gruesome and incessant attack of Albinos in Tanzania. Their body parts are being cut off and consequently being used for rituals.
For this reason, Tanzanian journalist Richard Mgamba, Albino community representative Isaack Timothy and Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has collaborated together to bring this episode of “Africa Investigates” that documents the daily struggles of the Tanzanian Albino and the booming body part business. The documentary uncovers the risk and fear that an average Tanzanian Albino undergoes.
Since 2008, at least 62 Tanzanian albinos have been killed, 16 have been brutally attacked and had their limbs cut off and the bodies of 12 albinos have been unearthed from graves and dismembered.
The business has become so rampant that even parents are conspiring with witch Doctors in order to sell their kids for the sake of money. The big question is, “what kind of parent sells his child for money?”
Most of the Witch Doctors patronisers are people looking for instant wealth and power. They are being brainwashed by the so called Witch Doctors that an Albino body part can change their situation thereby promoting the murder and mutilation of Albinos.
In this investigation, Anas, who goes undercover in the pretence of a being a businessman who seek to gain wealth, comes face to face with a witchdoctor who attempts to sell him a potion comprising of Albino body parts that have been rounded to powdered form. Not surprisingly, when the offer is made, Anas makes his abhorrence very plain. The Witch Doctor realising he has been caught in the act started begging for forgiveness while promising to stop the business.
