Tanzania: Five in court for chopping albino woman’s hand

Written by PETI SIYAME in Sumbawanga.

 FIVE people have appeared before the Sumbawanga Resident Magistrate’s Court facing two charges of conspiring and attempting to murder a woman living with albinism, Maria Chambanenge (39), a resident of Mkoe in Miangalua Village.

The five accused who appeared before the court presided by Ms Rosaria Mugissa, are Peter Kazanda alias Kaponda (53), a traditional healer , who resides at Miangalua Village; Linus Silukala (42) and Mtogwa Suleiman (30, a petty trader at Soko Matola area in Mbeya City.

Other accused are Gabriel Yohana, who is Maria’s husband and his younger brother Gaudensi Yohana (39), both residents of Mkoe area at Miangalua Village in Sumbawanga District. However, all accused denied the charges but trial magistrate, Ms Mugissa remanded them in custody until March 6, this year, when the case will come up for another mention after they failed to meet bail conditions.

The court had required them to each have three sureties, all residing in Sumbawanga Municipality. That each surety has to deposit to the court 3m/- bond and one of them must be a public official. Earlier, the prosecutor charged before the court that the five conspired and attempted to murder Maria Chambanenge by chopping off her left hand and disappeared with it before burying it in the nearby forest at Miangalua Village.

They further alleged that the accused committed the crime in midnight of February 11, this year, at Mkoe area in Miangalua Village when they invaded the house in which the victim was fast asleep and attacked her by chopping her left hand and disappeared with it.

It was further alleged before the court that Linus Silukala arrived in the village and established friendship with Gabriel, the husband of Maria and enticed him to chop off the hand of his wife and take it to a traditional healer, who has power to enrich them.

Gabriel them enticed his younger brother Gaudensi into committing the crime and thereafter they consulted the traditional healer, whom together buried the hand at a nearby forest in Miangalua Village while waiting to seal a deal with Mtongwa, a petty trader from Soko Matola area in Mbeya City.

Source: Daily News (22/02/2013): http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/14915-five-in-court-for-chopping-albino-woman-s-hand