Parliament Thursday passed a bill that is seeking to make amendments to the Anatomy Act, with the aim of giving stiffer penalties to people involved in the killing of people with albinism.
The most important step, however, is to have President Peter Mutharika assented to it.
The bill was tabled after House was suspended for almost the whole day.
But when the House reconvened around 4 O’clock in the afternoon, the issue was introduced as private members’ bill by Dowa East MP, Richard Chimwendo Banda.
“This Bill seeks to amend the Anatomy Act (Cap 34:03) in order to broaden the offences of removal and unauthorised possession of human tissue and enhance the penalties for offences under the Act. This is done in order to deter the commission of such offence,” reads a memorandum of the Bill.
It adds: “Section 18 includes an offence of possession of a body of a deceased person or human tissue and the penalty for the prescribed offences has been increased to life imprisonment without the option of a fine.”
Minister of Justice Samuel Tembenu told the House that government is working on a comprehensive law to deal with the killings. He, therefore, said the MPs were supposed to work hand in hand with government on what it has started.
“We are developing a proper and appropriate legislation that will cover all issues. We have concluded the process. Charging people under the Anatomy Act was more of a default position. The bill we have developed seeks to cover all the aspects,” Tembenu said.
However, members who contributed to the debate spoke in support of the Bill. People’s Party Spokesperson on the matter, Ralph Jooma said there is need to have the law as they wait for the comprehensive law Tembenu was talking about.
“We have to do something. We have to close the gap as we wait for that touted comprehensive review,” Jooma said.
Salima North West MP, Jessie Kabwila added: “We will not solve all problems but we will show we have started. We don’t have the luxury of waiting. This is a bill which should have been passed yesterday.”
Mulanje South MP Bon Kalindo who earlier on in the day led a demonstration against the killings said the bills had to be looked at with sober minds.
“I urge all MPs to handle this issue with sober minds. We don’t have to be looking at who has brought the issue in the House. Time has come, we need to do something. It is about bringing sanity,” Kalindo said.
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