People must unlearn dangerous myths about albinism: Mthethwa

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa says people must unlearn dangerous myths about those living with albinism.

Mthethwa was speaking during the wrap in Pretoria of the Heritage month dialogue focused on awareness about people who have albinism as well as the issue of gender based violence.

The dialogue mostly included young people.

Mthethwa has slammed myths about people living with albinism.

“These are people like us. This thing that the person with albinism doesn’t die, he disappears or she disappears must come to an end because those are the very dangerous myths which made the world to stand up and say all of us, wherever we are, we must talk to ourselves. We must ensure that our people understand that we are people. We are one. All of us are one people. We have to protect ourselves. We have to protect people with albinism,” says Mthethwa.

He says people, especially boys, must be taught to respect and treat women well from early age.

Mthethwa says families must instill in boys the proper treatment of women.

“We need to have fathers coming with their boys, because where it starts is at home, in the family. It starts with something you’d think it’s not important but (it’s) very important, with the house chores. If you start instilling into your boy that he should not take responsibility for his socks, not to wash his socks, not to make his bed, it’s his sister who must wash the cup he was drinking in, we are instilling something later in life we won’t understand.”