Life and Death as a Zeru Zeru

Albino Fates in East Africa

Abstract

In Africa, every four thousandth person is an albino, and in Tanzania alone, their number is estimated at between 170,000 and 300,000. Albinism is an inherited pigment deficiency, a congenital disorder of the formation of pigment. Albinos are persecuted in East Africa, and they become victims of ritual murders every day. According to the so-called “witch doctors,” albino body parts must be obtained to cure certain diseases. Local residents consider them spirits, and white colonizers consider them a curse, but government policy tries to emphasize that these people do not have any magical powers and are just like anyone else.