Ritualists target bald men; Believe there is gold in their heads

Police in Mozambique have reportedly launched an investigation following another murder of a bald man as authorities grapple with the belief that “bald men’s heads contain gold”.

According to BBC News, the bald head of the victim was removed by criminals who wanted to sell it to their client from Mali, who reportedly disappeared before the exchange could be done.

As a result, the criminals were forced to leave the bald head in the central town of Muandiwa.

“Some Mozambicans believe bald men’s heads contain gold,” said the publication.

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In 2017, the country’s police warned bald men after the killing of five men for their body parts.

Afonso Dias, a police commander in Mozambique’s central Zambezia province, was quoted as saying at the time: “Their motive comes from superstition and culture – the local community thinks bald individuals are rich.”

Malawi has also suffered a wave of assaults against people with albinism from late 2014.

Amnesty International says more than 20 people with albinism have been killed in Malawi since 2014.

The assaults range from killings, tampering of graves, attempted abductions, and physical violence.

As in other countries in the region, their body parts are used in rituals to bring wealth and luck.

Some people with albinism are also accused of being “vampires” who seek human blood for rituals, sometimes triggering vigilante violence in retaliation.