An activist for people with albinism,Odile Munyanyi is living in fear after being threatened with death for her role in promoting the rights of this vulnerable group.
Speaking to this publication,Munyanyi,said trouble started when she decided to rescue two albino daughters of a named top government official who were being abused.
“I got in trouble for standing up against this top government bigwig who was abusing his two daughters ostensibly for ritual purposes , “Munyanyi said.
She said after that she received anonymous calls threatening her to stop the efforts she was doing to ‘save her life’ .
“It was frightening to hear these anonymous callers advising me not to pursue my dreams in fighting for the rights of people with albinism,”she added.
At one occassion,she got close to being kidnapped with some suspected state agents driving unmarked cars.
“So scary is how I was nearly bundled by CIOs into one of their cars but I screamed alerting everyone who was at Machipisa shopping centre,”revealed Munyanyi who is the founder of Albinism Empowerment Coalition.
Quizzed if she reported any of this to police,Munyanyi said she found this a Herculean Task.
“I reported countless times to the police but it was a futile exercise.Some honest police officers opened up to me saying their hands were tied because the accused was a top brass,tonyura moms(we will be victimised ma’am),” revealed the albinism activist who has since fled to SA.
However,she says SA has not been a better sanctuary as she still get prowled by suspected spy agents.
“I have temporarily settled here in South Africa but sometimes I get trailed by suspicious vehicles typical of CIOs and I am worried of my safety hence contemplating leaving to any of the European countries which are a bit safe.
“My other worry is that I no longer access my medical supplies like skin lotion for my condition since right now I am of no fixed abode,”Munyanyi lamented.
Its not the first time,she has been in trouble.Last year,while launching her organisation,she invited some former opposition members of parliament (MPs) but this did not go down well with some government officials who thought she is a regime change agent.
People with albinism in Africa often face stigmatisation such that they are excluded in many facets of the society .In East Africa,there are many reports of albinos being killed for ritual purposes.
