Tanzania:Citizens Elect First Albino MP

By Eric Sande

DAR-ES-SALAAM------Sunday October 31 marked a date with the ballot for citizens of Tanzania which has so far been termed as peaceful. Surprises were not left out, new faces are yet to be sworn  in to Parliament of which the incumbent Chama Cha Mapinduzi has confirmed to have lost a total of 51 constituencies across the country with final results expected on Friday.

One instance out of the blue that will go down to the books of history is the commitment of the people of Tanzania to fight the scourge of killing and neglecting their fellow Tanzanians suffering from albinism.

One Salum Khalfani Bar'wani, from the opposition CUF party is a new MP elect of Lindi constituency voted by the people to sit in the next parliament.

"My joy has no end. The people of Lindi have used their wisdom and have appreciated clearly that albinos are capable. I am so touched that this is the first time in the electoral history of this country for an albino to be elected by the people in a popular contest to be their representative in parliament - and not through sympathy votes or decisions," Bar’wani  told BBC Swahili Service.

Two years ago, 48-year-old Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer was nominated by President Jakaya Kikwete under the CCM party. Her mission was to fight for the rights of the albinos in Tanzania.

About twenty people with albinism have been murdered in the past year in Tanzania, where there is a widespread belief that the condition is the result of a curse.

In Dodoma -Tanzania, they are being targeted by criminals aimed at the burgeoning trade in their body parts. The albinos, who suffer from a lack of skin pigmentation, are believed by witch doctors to hold magical powers which make their body parts valuable for use in medicine.