English

Hello 

Create Profile

Creating your profile will enable you to submit photos and stories to get published on News24.


Please provide a username for your profile page:

This username must be unique, cannot be edited and will be used in the URL to your profile page across the entire 24.com network.

Settings

Location Settings

News24 allows you to edit the display of certain components based on a location. If you wish to personalise the page based on your preferences, please select a location for each component and click "Submit" in order for the changes to take affect.









Facebook Sign-In

Hi News addict,

Join the News24 Community to be involved in breaking the news.

Log in with Facebook to comment and personalise news, weather and listings.

 
 

Albino boy killed, dismembered

2009-01-03 11:02
line

Bujumbura - Criminals with suspected links to witch doctors murdered an eight-year-old boy in eastern Burundi and made away with two arms and a leg, a rights group and an official said on Friday.

Albinos have been routinely targeted in the small central African country, where 80 of them have now been gathered in centres under the protection of the authorities.

"Three men armed with machetes attacked a family on Muzenge Hill in the Cankuzo province which included an eight-year-old albino boy," Kassim Kazungu, who heads Burundi's Albinos Association, told AFP.

Kazungu said the latest murder, which occurred on Tuesday, brought to six the number of albinos killed in Burundi since September last year, while a seventh has been missing for months.

"This time local residents were fortunately able to capture the three murderers the next day and took the law into their own hands by killing one of them before the police arrived," he said.

Witch doctors

The incident was confirmed to AFP by Nicodeme Gahimbare, the prosecutor of the neighbouring province of Ruyigi.

"Albinos live in very difficult conditions. There are now 50 gathered in Ruyigi, 12 in Gitega, five in Kirundo, seven in Cibitoke, two in Bubanza and six in Bururi," Kazungu said.

Criminals in Burundi are believed to smuggle albino organs and limbs to neighbouring Tanzania, where witch doctors use them for lucky charms.

In Tanzania, at least 35 albinos, mostly women and children, have been killed in different parts of the country in 2008, according to the Tanzania Albino society.

Albinism is a congenital lack of the melamin pigment in the skin, eyes and hair which protects from the sun's ultraviolets. Albinos are vulnerable to medical complications and social discrimination in Africa.

Read News24’s Comments Policy

inside news24

 

140
1
1 of 10

Latest comment in Africa

kaMazibuko says... the ICC is useless if countries like the USA, China, Russia etc can bully other countries without any consequences. Read the article...

 
Traffic
Lottery
 
  • Wednesday Ladysmith - 22:09 PM
    Road name: N11 Both Ways
    ROADWORK - two sets of stop / go controls just south of the R68 Dundee exit - expect waiting times of up to 20 minutes between Ladysmith and Newcastle (ends March 2013)
  • Saturday Pretoria - 08:07 AM
    Road name: N1 Both Ways
    ROADWORKS - lane closures on both carriageways for long term roadworks between the N4 Witbank Highway Interchange and the Zambesi Drive exit - EXPECT DELAYS (until Jan 2013)
 
More traffic reports...
 

Jobs [change area]

Cars[change area]

VOLKSWAGEN

CitiGolf Chico 1.4 5-dr MY04
2008
R 67,995.00

VOLKSWAGEN

CitiGolf 1.4i 5-dr MY04
2007
R 64,995.00

TOYOTA

Condor 2000i Estate TE MPV
2005
R 110,000.00

Property [change area]

Vulintaba Country Estate, Upper Drakensberg

A lifestyle estate beyond compare. Home Package Options From R990 000

HOUSES FOR SALE IN Wellington

Houses R 2 249 000

Travel - Look, Book, Go!

Casa Rex, Vilanculos

Spend 5 nights in at the magical Mozambican resort of Casa Rex from R7983 per person sharing. Includes accommodation, return flights, taxes and transfers. Book now!

Kalahari.com - shop online today

TV Series

If you need a crash course in what happened last season of your favourite show. Get the series DVD Box set now. Buy now.

Fifty Shades of Grey Series

Keep away Jack Frost and let Christian Grey have you hot under the collar with New Yorks #1 Fifty Shades of Grey series. Buy now.

Playstation Games on special

Reignite that faltering love affair with your Playstation by grabbing these selected titles on special. Buy now.

The BBC Earth Collection

Indulge the explorer in you with the BBC earth collection on Blu-Ray. Buy now.

Kids DVDs for R89

Keep your kids boredom at bay with 2 Children’s DVDs’ for R89. Buy now.

OLX Free Classifieds [change area]

pool table

For Sale, Toys - Games - Hobbies in South Africa, Gauteng, Johannesburg. Date May 6

Lexus: IS

Vehicles, Cars in South Africa, Gauteng, Johannesburg. Date May 7

stylish bachelor furnished in sandton from 1st of june

Real Estate, Houses - Apartments for Rent in South Africa, Gauteng, Johannesburg. Date May 7

LeapPad

Only: R1 100

Encourage your kids to take the Leap towards a better education with the LeapPad. Buy now.

Visit www.kalahari.com for millions of books, music, DVDs, games & more!

BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300

Keep it together Text. Email. Social. With all the different ways to...

From R1949.00

I'm shopping for:

Horoscopes
Aquarius
Aquarius

For someone who dislikes routine and structure as much as you do, today is likely to turn out to be an irritating and annoying...read more

There are new stories on the homepage. Click here to see them.