CHRR Calls for Urgent Review of Witchcraft Act Amid Rising Attacks on Persons with Albinism
Published on January 27, 2026 at 4:09 PM by Evance Kapito
The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has urged the government to fast-track the review of the Witchcraft Act of 1911 and provide the public with an update on the status of the long-delayed process.
CHRR Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa made the call in a statement released amid renewed abductions and grave exhumations involving persons with albinism, incidents he says are largely driven by witchcraft-related beliefs.
“The resurgence of abductions and grave exhumations is a stark reminder that legislative inaction has real human costs,” Kaiyatsa said.
“Without a modern, clear and rights-based legal framework that addresses the abuses linked to witchcraft-related beliefs, efforts to protect persons with albinism will remain incomplete.”
CHRR noted that the Special Law Commission completed its review of the Witchcraft Act in 2021, during which it recommended recognising the practice of witchcraft in Malawi, a move aimed at strengthening regulation, accountability, and human rights protections.
However, more than three years later, the organisation says government has yet to implement or clearly communicate the way forward, a delay it argues is leaving vulnerable groups especially persons with albinism exposed to continued violence and abuse.
CHRR has since called on authorities to treat the matter with urgency, warning that failure to reform the outdated law undermines ongoing efforts to curb harmful beliefs and protect fundamental human rights.
