Tanzania Witchdoctors have reportedly earned tens of thousands of dollars from selling medicine made from the bones, hair, skin and genitals of dead albino people.

The ritualists believe the blood and organs of albinos contain elements needed in making charms for good fortunes and prosperity.

“A set of albino body parts, consisting of all four limbs, genitals, ears, tongue and nose is said to be valued at US$ 75,000”, a Consultancy African Intelligence (CAI) report says.

A Canadian rights group also says albino girls are being raped in Tanzania because of a belief they offer a cure for AIDS.

“In search for profit, witchdoctors revived an old superstition that the limbs and genitals of an albino can bring quicker and better results to one’s enterprise,” Anseleme Katyunguruza, Secretary General of the Burundi Red Cross said to Digital Journals.

Although Mr. Pinda has said that attacks on albinos have considerably reduced, albinos of Tanzania continue to live in fear.

Adam Robert (14), an albino child from Mwanza Region, Tanzania recently escaped death by whiskers. A Tanzania newspaper, Daily News, reported that one Tangawizi (36) who wanted Adam’s body parts for ritual attacked him near his home. But the assailant was unlucky because the teenager succeeded in biting his private parts. Tangawizi escaped, but not until he cut off a finger of boy Adam.

Another 14 years old albino girl, Eunice who lived in Sengerema district, Mwanza was not so lucky. She was brutally killed by a suspect who the police identified to be her father. Her body was found without a leg.

Albinos are also killed in neighbouring Burundi and exported to Tanzania for sales. Slate, a Division of the Washington reported about an eight-year-old albino boy killed in Burundi in 2009 and his limbs were smuggled to Tanzania.

Local media have put the number of attacks against albino at 76 resulting in 62 murders and 14 survivors. As at 2009, only five of these cases have resulted in convictions in Tanzanian courts.

President Jakaya Kikwete called on Tanzanians to report on anyone suspected of attacking albinos. The government has also banned witchdoctor from practising.

It, however, remains to be seen whether the president’s statement was taken serious, ast he killings of albinos continues.

Albinism, a genetic disorder characterized by lack of melanin pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes, is listed as a rare condition by the American National Institutes of Health.

There are conflicting figures of albinos living in Tanzania. President Kikwete once announced that a national census to identify the number of albinos in the country would soon be conducted. The government reckon it is necessary to know the figure of person with albinism living in Tanzania. How this exercise will restrain albino killers is yet unclear.

Observers believe the lust for albino’s blood or organs by witchdoctors and their agents would not be quenched by conducting population census of the victims. Rather, it is argued, the perpetrators need to be educated about the folly of believing that albino blood or body parts could produce wealth.

 “Besides, how often can government do counting of albinos”, a Tanzanian journalist argued.

“It sounds like counting rhinos in South Africa. The government knows how many rhinos are left, but rhino get pouched still”.

According to Tanzania Albinos Society (TAS), only 8,000 albinos were registered, but the NGO estimated that there are approximately 270,000 albinos living in Tanzania.