Country
Modern slavery in Malawi
2 documented cases recorded in Malawi, 2008–2010. Locations are deliberately generalized to protect survivors.
Malawi's southern district of Zomba, Lake Chilwa, Malawi
Malawian fishermen on Lake Chilwa
Tsangano, Mozambique, Malawi
http://www.ldh.org.mz/index.php/en/projects-and-research/trafficking-body-parts The interview was conducted at Tete hospital with a victim (Victim) of a mutilation. According to the victim, on 5th August 2008, he was passing alone by a cemetery when he felt a knock on his head. When he woke up his complete genitalia had been removed and he was bleeding profusely. He started crying and some people who lived there (in Tsangano) came and took him to the local hospital. In the morning an ambulance took him to Tete hospital. The victim stated that he had heard about identical cases and mentioned that in 2008, a man was murdered and his heart and genital organs were removed. In 2006, a similar case happened. The victim said that people sell those organs and that the ones who buy them use them to make treatments for wealth and business. LDH: Can you tell us what happened? Victim: It happened on Tuesday (5th August, 2008, ed.). I went to the market. On my way back from the market, I passed by a cemetery and felt a knock on the head. I woke up on the floor. They had taken me to a corner and I was fainted. My genital organs had been removed. When I woke up because of the wind […] I started to cry and people that live there came. The persons who heard me crying picked me up and took me. Someone climbed a tree and started calling other people. The ones who did it were close and so they started running when they heard people calling. So, I was taken to the hospital. In the morning they made a phone call, and an ambulance came and took me to the hospital. LDH: What time was it? More or less. Victim: At dusk. LDH: Were you alone? Victim: Yes, I was alone. LDH: Wasn’t there any movement of people? Victim: No. There was no movement. LDH: So, you only woke up after everything had happened? Victim: Yes. I woke up after everything had happened. LDH: Did you manage to see who did this?? Victim: No. LDH: What do you do there? Victim: I am a peasant. LDH: How old are you? Victim: 32 LDH: This type of cases, are these frequent? Victim: I have heard about it other times. […] The year before the last, another person died. Even now, that I am here (in hospital, ed), I heard that the same happened to another person. LDH: Those other cases, were they identical or did they remove other type of organs? Victim: This case now, they took the heart and the genital organs. LDH: And the case of the year before the last? Victim: They also took. Normally, they take the heart and the genital organs. LDH: In the case of the year before the last? Victim: Yes, they took the heart and the genital organs. LDH: What do you think they do with those organs? Victim: Business, they sell. LDH: The ones who buy, what do they do with those organs? Victim: They make treatments and medicine for wealth and business. LDH: Did they take your organs or they left them? Victim: They took them. LDH: Did they cut it completely? Victim: They cut it completely. They put a knife here, and then here and took the testicles and even. I have nothing now (the victim proceeded to show the male interviewer the wound).