News

India: The Prevalence of Witches

A lot more than just legislation is needed to curb the frequent incidents of witch-hunting in Odisha. 

The infamous medieval treatise on witch-hunting, the Malleus Maleficarum (1486), speaks in the authoritative voice of a book of law —  it lays down the rules with which the process of ‘justice’, involving the identification, prosecution and systematic elimination of witches (almost always women), is to be conducted.

The methodology it codified does not really sound so medieval when considered in the context of contemporary Indian reality. Here, the common people’s continuing lack of access to the formal justice system in remote and not-so-remote areas means that any powerful person can mimic the voice of law to serve his interests, as the author of Malleus Maleficarum did. 

Read more here

Ghana: Witch camps

This series of photographs by Jane Hahn highlights the living conditions of women who have been ostracized by their original communities, and forced to create their own community, safe for ‘witches’ to live in.

See the photographs here

India: Families of witch-hunt victims ostracised in Gumla

The witch-hunting menace, which has seen many innocent women being persecuted, tortured and even killed in Jharkhand, has also hit their family members who are ostracised by villagers.

The practice of witchcraft prevails in several districts of Jharkhand, particularly Gumla, as casualties are reported from there every so often.

Read more here

South Africa: Unrest – Muti killings blamed

Public unrest in Limpopo has been put down to “pure criminality”, with communities drawing the “conclusion” that there is a spate of muti killings plaguing some areas in the province.

“There isn’t a spate of muti-related killings in Limpopo. The recent incidents are isolated,” said Limpopo safety, security and liaison department spokesperson Molebatsi Masedi. Masedi was reacting to the turbulent past week, where community protests against killings in the Motupa, Moleketla and Kubjana villages surrounding Tzaneen turned violent.

Read more here

South Africa: Kubjana boy was not a muti murder

South Africa: Education won’t ‘cure’ the belief in muti power

The public does not need to be “educated” against the use of muti gained through muti murders, as it simply will not work, an expert in the study of witchcraft said. 

“Be sceptical about claims that better education will reduce “belief” in witchcraft, muti, and other supernatural claims,” Afroamerican and African Studies Professor Adam Ashforth said. “After all, some educated people still believe in God.” Murder is murder, whatever the motive, he said.

Read more here 

Tanzania: Sumbawanga man killed over witchcraft

A Mponda villager, Sekule Mpupo (85), was beaten to death by a mob in Sumbawanga Municipality after being accused of practicing witchcraft.

A group of unknown people mobbed Mpupo’s house and broke a windowpane before jumping in to attack him.

Read more here

South Africa: Child’s alleged muti death sparks violence

The ongoing violence that broke out in Relela village outside Tzaneen after police gunned down three protesters has spilt over to neighbouring villages.

A local businessman (whose name The Star is holding back for his safety) spent a day in hiding after locals torched his house, his shop and three vehicles in Kubjana village on Wednesday night. The crowd burnt down the man’s property after a three-year-old boy was found dead in one of the cars parked at his home on Wednesday afternoon.

Read more here

Nigeria: Witchcraft phenomenon on the rise in Akwa Ibom

In Akwa Ibom State, almost every misfortune is attributed to ifot (witchcraft). Here, a migraine or a student’s poor academic performance or even poor record of sales in a business shop would most likely be traceable to ifot. Here, everyone does live in fear, and everyone is a potential suspect.

Akwa Ibom is generally believed to be among the top states in Nigeria that remained plagued by witchcraft killings. The oil-rich state assumed international spotlights few years ago with the showing of a documentary titled ‘Dispatches: Saving Africa’s Witch Children’ which was aired in a TV station in the United Kingdom. 

Read more here

Papua New Guinea: Death and Sanguma in Paradise

The young girl that died was 16 and was a niece of the lady she was staying with. She was sick for several days and complaining of severe neck and head pain. 

Because of her age and the way she died, it was immediately suspected that she was killed with sanguma (sorcery used for the purpose of killing). Most of the deaths in the Sepik region except for the very old seem to be attributed to sanguma. At the very least the possibility is seriously discussed. People are deathly afraid of sanguma.

Read more here