South Africans with albinism reveal daily struggle against discrimination on continent where they are persecuted and considered to be ‘cursed’
- All five members of the Tyongose family from Cape Town have albinism
- Father Themba, 54, has revealed they live in fear and suffer discrimination
- Earlier this year, a 15-month-old and a girl, 13, with albinism were murdered
A South African family living with albinism have spoken of how they are living in fear of persecution, following several gruesome murders of children with their condition earlier this year.
All five members of the Tyongose family have albinism, and father Themba, 54, reveals that even though South Africa is comparatively safe for people with the condition, they still suffer discrimination
Mr Tyongose lives with his wife Nokwanda, 35, and their three children Abongile, 15, Siphosethu, nine, and seven-year-old Linamandla, in a township outside Cape Town.
Themba Tyongose, 54, lives with wife Nokwanda, 35, and their three children Abongile, 15, Siphosethu, nine, and Linamandla, seven, near Cape Town, and they all have albinism
Rare condition: Siphosethu and Linamandla play with a rugby ball outside the family’s house in the Khayelitsha township
Being different: Little Linamandla plays with one of her friends at the playground
He said that they have found happiness in Khayelitsha, said to be the biggest township in South Africa, in the face of adversity.
‘I live a happy life in Cape Town because people here are more welcoming than other African countries, especially with the stories we hear from places like Tanzania.’
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However, Mr Tyongose adds that people with albinism receive very little help from the South African authorities, and adds that ‘there is more to be done by government.’
He said: ‘For example if a child is born with albinism in a labour ward, nobody gives advise on what is supposed to be done.
‘The only thing the midwife asks is “who else in the family looks like you”.’
The photographs of the Tyongose family were taken last month, to mark Albinism Awareness Month in South Africa.
All together: Mr Tyongose reveals that people with albinism receive very little help from the South African government and don’t get any advice on how to manage the condition
Family love: The two youngest children are seen having a laugh with their father while posing for the visiting photographer
Staying safe: The Tyongose children must cover up against the sun as their skin is sensitive
While persecution of people with albinism is more common in other sub-Saharan nations, there have been a number of murders of people with the condition in South Africa in recent years.
In early 2018, a 15-month old baby and a 13-year-old girl – both with albinism – were kidnapped and murdered by ‘healers’ in the eastern South African province of Mpumalanga.
Traditional beliefs and myths that albinism is a result of being cursed or possessed still lingers in some communities, and can result in discrimination or even physical violence of people with the condition.
Albinism is a rare and genetically inherited condition, which results in complete or partial absence of pigmentation in the hair, skin and eyes.
This leads not only to a change their appearance, but also makes them vulnerable to the sun’s UV radiation which in turn leaves them more likely to develop skin cancer.
A lack of melanin also affects the eyesight, and many people with albinism are visually impaired or in some cases completely blind.
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