Mauaji ya mtoto Asimwe yanatia doa sifa ya Tanzania

Mauaji ya mtoto Asimwe yanatia doa sifa ya Tanzania

Mei 30, 2024, mtoto mwenye ualbino, Asimwe Novath, umri miaka miwili, alinyakuliwa kutoka kwa mama yake, kisha watu wakatoweka naye. Juni 17, 2024, ikiwa ni siku 18 tangu alipochukuliwa pasipo haki, Asimwe alikutwa mabaki ya mwili. Roho ilishaacha mwili, kisha mwili nao ulikutwa nusu. Baadhi ya viungo vilishanyofolewa.

Asimwe, mtoto mzuri, halafu mrembo. Kisa ulemavu wake, ndivyo wanaharamu wakaona hastahili kuishi. Unaweza kupata picha mtoto akilia na machozi yake yakawa sawa na wimbo “Machozi ya Samaki” wa Dk Remmy Ongala. Wauaji wa Asimwe, hawakujali machozi yake. Hawakuuthamini urembo aliokuwanao.

Peleka fikra zako machinjio ya wanyama, jinsi ng’ombe au mbuzi anavyokatwa kutenganishwa viungo. Rejea hata nyumbani, kuku anapitishwa kisu kutawanywa sehemu za mwili, aweze kupikwa. Fikra hizohizo zipeleke kwa Asimwe. Watu wamtoa roho na kumkata viungo mithili ya kitoweo.

Elewa hakukuwa na ukatili dhidi ya binadamu kabla ya binadamu. Ile siku Kaini alipomuua Abel, ukatili dhidi ya binadamu ndipo ulianzia. Asimwe, mtoto mwema asiye na hatia yoyote, amekutana na matokeo ya usajili wa ukatili dhidi ya binadamu.

Asimwe ni mtoto mwenye ualbino. Wapo watu wanaamini viungo vyake vitawapa bahati na utajiri, vyeo na nguvu ya mamlaka. Hizo ndizo hekaya nyuma ya mauaji ya watu wenye ualbino. Unamfikiria mama yake Asimwe, ni rahisi kuyahisi maumivu yake. Ni mwenye ualbino, lakini ni mwanaye. Alimtunza tumboni miezi tisa. Akajifungua na kumlea kwa miaka miwili, kwa upendo mkubwa. Iweje mwanaye atolewe uhai na kugawanyishwa viungo mithili ya bata?

Asimwe, alichukuliwa wilayani Muleba, Kagera. Ni mkoa wa Tanzania. Nchi ambayo inastahili kupewa hadhi ya kuwa makao makuu ya kidunia kwa matukio ya ukatili dhidi ya watu wenye ualbino. Kifo cha Asimwe kinaacha ujumbe kuwa Tanzania, ukiwa na ualbino haupo salama. Ulinzi haupo. Matukio yakitokea, kelele hupigwa na kisha ukimya hurejea. Halafu, katikati ya ukimya, maharamia hurejea kazini kuua na kukata viungo wenye ualbino.

Ngano ya ualbino

Nilipokuwa mdogo, nilisikia hekaya (myths) kuwa watu wenye ualbino hawafi, bali hutoweka. Ngano hiyo ilijengewa ushahidi wa kutokuwapo makaburi ya wenye ualbino. Nikajiuliza, wanapotea kwenda wapi? Kwa nini hawafi?

Ndani ya Msahafu imeandikwa: “Kila nafsi itaonja mauti.” Biblia inaweka mkazo wa kurejea mavumbini kwa kila mja. Kama vitabu vyote vitakatifu vinaeleza kuwa hatima ya kila binadamu duniani ni kifo, vipi watu wenye ualbino wawe wanatoweka?

Yalikuwa maswali ya utotoni, kujaribu kuumiza kichwa kuhusu hatima ya wenzetu wenye ualbino. Siku hizi sijiulizi tena swali hilo. Nafahamu wenye ualbino wengi waliuawa na ikavumishwa walipotea. Natambua pia makaburi ya wenye ualbino yalivamiwa na miili kutoroshwa.

Sababu ya kila kitu ni ushirikina. Waganga wenye kuchota watu ubongo wana hekaya yao kuwa viungo vya watu wenye ualbino, hususan mifupa, huwa na maajabu mengi. Eti, hukaribisha bahati na kujaza utajiri. Koo za Kiafrika nazo zina ngano yao, kwamba watu wenye ualbino hualika mikosi ndani ya familia.

Ngano zote mbili ni kichocheo cha mauji ya watu wenye ualbino. Wanawaua ili kupata viungo vyao, hususan mifupa, wakajenge bahati na utajiri. Wanawaua watu wenye ualbino kuondoa mikosi kwenye familia. Ripoti nyingi za mauaji ya wenye ualbino, zimethibitisha ndugu hadi wazazi kushiriki.

Mtu mwenye ualbino ni binadamu wa kawaida, ila ana ulemavu wa ngozi na macho. Hana umaalumu mwingine wowote, kiasi cha kuanza kuwawinda na kuwaua. Zilishapita nyakati Tanzania, watu wenye ualbino waliitwa “dili”. Eti, ukimuua na kumiliki viungo vyake, ni biashara yenye fedha nyingi.

Ualbino ni ulemavu. Kila bara, kisha nchi baada ya nchi, watu wenye ualbino wapo. Tofauti ni idadi. Juni 13, kila mwaka ni Siku ya Kimataifa ya Uelewa Kuhusu Ualbino. Juni 13, 2024, Umoja wa Mataifa (UN), walitoa ripoti yenye kuonyesha mtu mmoja kati ya 5,000, wana ualbino Kusini mwa Jangwa la Sahara, wakati mmoja kati ya 20,000, ndiyo wana ualbino Ulaya na Amerika Kaskazini.

Ripoti hiyo ya UN inabainisha Tanzania ndiyo inaongoza dunia kwa kuwa na watu wengi wenye ualbino, kwani mtu mmoja kati ya watu 1,400, wana ualbino. Maana yake, kwa hesabu ya watu milioni 62 waliopo, inaleta wastani wa watu 45,000, wanaoishi na ualbino Tanzania.

Zimbabwe ndiyo nchi yenye wastani mkubwa zaidi wa binadamu wenye ualbino, kwani katika kila watu 1,000, mmoja anaishi na ualbino. Idadi ya watu Zimbabwe ni milioni 16.3, hivyo wastani ni kwamba Zimbabwe ina watu 16,000 wenye ualbino.

Ripoti kuwa Tanzania ina watu wengi zaidi wenye ualbino kama ilivyotolewa na UN, inashabihiana kwa sehemu kubwa na utafiti uliofanywa na Shirika la Under the Same Sun, lenye makao yake makuu Canada. Shirika hilo ambalo limejikita katika utoaji wa elimu kuhusu ualbino, lilieleza katika kila watu 1,429 Tanzania, mmoja ana ualbino.

Aprili Mosi, 2014, Under the Same Sun, walitoa ripoti yenye kichwa “Reported Attacks of Persons with Albinism”, ikiwa na tafsiri ya mashambulizi yaliyoripotiwa ya watu wenye ualbino. Utafiti ulifanywa kwenye nchi 180 duniani.

Ripoti ya mauaji ilikuwa vifo 129 na mashambulizi 181, katika nchi 23, na zote ni Afrika.

Ukipitia idadi, Tanzania ina namba kubwa ya matukio ya mauaji. Sababu ni ileile; ushirikina. Taarifa zinasema migodini, wachimbaji huambiwa na waganga wapeleke viungo vya wenye ualbino ili wavune madini. Wafanyabiashara, kuna waliokata tamaa ya maisha, wanapoambiwa viungo vya wenye ualbino vitabadili nyota zao na kuwa zenye bahati, huanza msako.

Wasiwasi mkubwa upo kwa wanasiasa. Inadaiwa vipindi vya uchaguzi vinapokaribia, watu wenye ualbino huanza kupotea na hata kuuawa. Wengine hukumbana na mashambulizi, huishia kukatwa viungo. Eti, wanasiasa husaka vyeo kishirikina na viungo vya wenye ualbino ndiyo huwapa matokeo.

Lipo swali la kujiuliza; kwa nini vitendo vya kinyama dhidi ya watu wenye ualbino viibuke kila mwaka wa uchaguzi? Kati ya mwaka 2009 na mwaka 2010 nchi ilitikiswa na vitendo vya ukatili dhidi ya wenye ualbino. Rejea mwaka 2005 na mwaka 2000, yote hiyo ni miaka ambayo Uchaguzi Mkuu ulifanyika Tanzania. Na vipindi hivyo ukatili dhidi ya wenye ualbino ulikithiri, japo hali ilikuwa ya kutisha zaidi kuelekea Uchaguzi Mkuu 2010.

Siku zote malalamiko yanaelekezwa kwa wasaka utajiri wa haraka na wachimba madini, wasaka vyeo maofisini, kuwa ni washirikina, na kwa imani yao na kwa mwongozo wa waganga wao, eti ndiyo watafanikiwa kwa haraka. Tunaweza kukubaliana kuhusu dhana hiyo. Hata hivyo? Swali; kwa nini hali inakuwa mbaya sana nyakati za karibu na uchaguzi?

Inawezekana kuna wanasiasa washirikina wa kutupwa. Pengine ndiyo sababu ya ukatili dhidi ya wenye ualbino nyakati za karibu na uchaguzi.

Hii ni mbaya, ni hatari, kwa sababu wanasiasa ndiyo tabaka linalotengeneza viongozi wa nchi, wanaotegemewa kuongoza, kuifanya nchi kuwa salama kuishi kila raia na hata wageni. Je, kiongozi aliyeshinda uchaguzi, akiwa na imani kuwa viungo vya wenye ualbino ndivyo vilimsaidia, ataweza kusimama kidete kukomesha ukatili dhidi ya watu wenye ualbino?

Si ajabu ndiyo maana ukatili dhidi ya wenye ualbino hauishi. Unaota mizizi. Hapo katikati palipoa. Mwaka huu (2024), unafanyika Uchaguzi wa Serikali za Mitaa na mwakani (2025), Uchaguzi Mkuu utachukua nafasi. Ghafla, matukio ya ukatili dhidi ya wenye ualbino yamerejea upya. Je, watu wanasaka vyeo vya kuongoza nchi kwa damu ya wenye ualbino? Taifa lipo salama kweli?

Ona sasa, mauaji ya mtoto Asimwe yanatia doa sifa ya Tanzania. Siku 26 kabla Asimwe hajachukuliwa na watu waovu, ilikuwa Mei 4, 2024, Katoro, Geita, mtoto Julius Kazungu, umri miaka 10, alinusurika kifo baada ya kushambuliwa na kitu chenye ncha kali kichwani na mikononi.

Source: mwananchi.co.tz

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Tanzania Confirms Outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease
Tanzania Foreign Investment News
Chief Editor

Tanzania Confirms Outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease

Dodoma — Tanzania today confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the northwestern Kagera region after one case tested positive for the virus following investigations and laboratory analysis of suspected cases of the disease.

President of the Republic of Tanzania, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, made the announcement during a press briefing alongside World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in the country’s administrative capital Dodoma.

“Laboratory tests conducted in Kabaile Mobile Laboratory in Kagera and later confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one patient as being infected with the Marburg virus. Fortunately, the remaining suspected patients tested negative,” the president said. “We have demonstrated in the past our ability to contain a similar outbreak and are determined to do the same this time around.”

A total of 25 suspected cases have been reported as of 20 January 2025, all of whom have tested negative and are currently under close follow-up, the president said. The cases have been reported in Biharamulo and Muleba districts in Kagera.

“We have resolved to reassure the general public in Tanzania and the international community as a whole of our collective determination to address the global health challenges, including the Marburg virus disease,” said H.E President Hassan.

WHO is supporting Tanzanian health authorities to enhance key outbreak control measures including disease surveillance, testing, treatment, infection prevention and control, case management, as well as increasing public awareness among communities to prevent further spread of the virus.

“WHO, working with its partners, is committed to supporting the government of Tanzania to bring the outbreak under control as soon as possible, and to build a healthier, safer, fairer future for all the people of Tanzania,” said Dr Tedros. “Now is a time for collaboration, and commitment, to protecting the health of all people in Tanzania, and the region, from the risks posed by this disease.”

Marburg virus disease is highly virulent and causes haemorrhagic fever. It belongs to the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly. Patients present with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. They may develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.

“The declaration by the president and the measures being taken by the government are crucial in addressing the threat of this disease at the local and national levels as well as preventing potential cross-border spread,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Our priority is to support the government to rapidly scale up measures to effectively respond to this outbreak and safeguard the health of the population,”

Tanzania previously reported an outbreak of Marburg in March 2023 – the country’s first – in Kagera region, in which a total of nine cases (eight confirmed and one probable) and six deaths were reported, with a case fatality ratio of 67%.

In the African region, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.

Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials. Although several promising candidate medical countermeasures are currently undergoing clinical trials, there is no licensed treatment or vaccine for effective management or prevention of Marburg virus disease. However, early access to treatment and supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms, improve survival.

Source: allafrica.com

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