By Elizabeth Mandala, MANA
Minister of Information, Civic education and Communications Technology, Mark Botomani has called on the Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (APAM) to be patient on the release of the report on the abduction and killings of people with Albinism.
The Information Minister Botomani made the statement on Saturday during a press briefing in Blantyre.
He said government is aware that the association and the public have waited for so long on the release of the report.
However, he said, the commission is still conducting investigations looking at the magnitude of the work itself.
“The commission has asked for more time to complete investigations. And there is no time limitation as they have to go beyond boarders of Malawi and visit countries like Tanzania and Mozambique where the link of issues of abductions surfaced,” said Botomani.
He added that as investigations are going on government will continue to take care of people with Albinism by providing them with, among others housing, security, alert gadgets and lotion.
APAM recently gave government a seven day ultimatum to release the findings of the investigation.
In a phone interview Chairman for the Taskforce Dr Hetherwick Ntaba called APAM’s ultimatum unfortunate and unnecessary.
He said the commission asked for additional funds from government amounting to K40 million which will be made available in the coming week and as such they will need more time to complete investigations.
Ntaba further dismissed speculations that the president had received the report but did not want to make it public.
“The people working in the taskforce are very reputable people including the president who appointed the commission hence we cannot sit on something that is very important,” said Dr Ntaba.
In March last year President Mutharika instituted an eight member commission of inquiry over the killing and abduction of persons with albinism.
