By Kudakwashe Pembere
Calls to remove duty for the production and importation of sunscreen lotions are growing louder by the day at a time when persons living with albinism are having to fork out around US$20 for a tube.
A person living with albinism requires four to five tubes per month which add to 125 ml. This emerged during an International Day of Albinism Awareness Day celebrations organized by the Albinism Empowerment Coalition (AEC) held recently in the capital.
In an interview, Former Kambuzuma Legislator Willias Madzimure said manufacturers of sunscreen deserved rebates or removal of duties for people with albinism to get the products at an affordable price.
On the issue of lotions, I was of the notion there were companies which manufactures them. What we must simply do is to provide duty free ingredients. Simple. Provide duty free and we know in other countries they get these lotions for free. When buying for a child with albinism it is usually recommended to get the items in bulk for reduced transportation costs,” he said.
“So, let’s identify a company which manufactures these items and allow them to get the ingredients without paying for duty and also some benefits will come in participating in such a noble national duty.”
Madzimure added there should be designated pharmacies which upon removal of import duties can provide the lotions at a lesser cost to people with albinism.
“If suppose there is a pharmacy where these lotions are sold at a cheaper price, people can buy lotions which last for three months thereby eliminating huge transport costs,” he said. “We can also have designated pharmacies which can be allowed to import without paying duty for those particular products.”
AEC founder Odile Munyanyi, a person with albinism, bemoaned the stigma which has left many people with albinism without permanent jobs.
“I think it is important to advocate for removal of taxes in the procurement and production of sunscreens because they are expensive. You can find that you can buy a bottle of sunscreen for even US$18 of which people with albinism most of them cannot afford.
“They do not have permanent jobs because of discrimination so if they reduce those taxes or remove them, for those lotions to come into our country, it will be better for us. As AEC, we are thinking of doing a project whereby we will be making those lotions for ourselves so that we distribute it locally and across the globe so that people can buy them at an affordable price,” she said.
She also said it was important to educate communities about albinism to reduce the stigma and discrimination beginning at churches and schools.
Reverend Griffin Magwera, from the United Methodist Church, also a person with albinism said it was important for government not to disturb organizations which donate items to persons with albinism.
“If you look what has been happening in Zimbabwe, people with albinism have been getting lotions, spectacles and hats from the Non-governmental organizations.
“So I also want to urge our government not to stifle and to disturb those organizations because if they disturb them, they are actually disturbing directly the people with disability. Because when they cut on the supply, then it means the people are put in danger,” he said.
Rev Magwera also explained that it is not an insult being called a “musope”, for it is just a Ndebele word for being, “white.”
“And also do not be worried about the discrimination and stigma but we are all created in the image of God. There is nothing fussy about the notion of musope, musope is a translation from the Ndebele word which is Muhlope.
“Muhlope in Ndebele that is white. If someone calls you or our relatives musope, there is nothing to be angry of because they will be giving a description of what you are. You are just white. There is nothing that can make someone angry. It is not an insult,” he said.
He encouraged persons with albinism or any other disability to work instead of being objects of sympathy.
“I just want to urge my fellow colleagues that living with albinism or any disability is not inability. We can do whatever anyone can do. The difference is just the lack of the melanin in our skin which is responsible for the pigmentation.
“But we are human beings like anyone. I just want to encourage my brothers and sisters that we should not be objects of sympathy. We need to work and to fend for ourselves and our families, so that no one will manipulate you. Sell whatever you can be it airtime or eggs, whatever you can get your hands on so that you do not become an object of sympathy,” he said.
