Witchcraft in Africa

Leo Igwe

Witchcraft is one of the most potent and 'dreaded' superstitions in Africa . Most Africans believe witches are real active beings that can act to influence, intervene and alter the course of human life for good or ill. Africans accept witchcraft as a mode of explanation, of perception and interpretation of their problems, events, nature and reality even whne reason and common sense suggest otherwise. They believe witches can cause poverty, diseases, accidents, business failures, famine, earthquake, infertility and childbirth difficulties. Many people in Africa attribute any extraordinary, mysterious or inexplicable event, manifestation or phenomenon to witchery and wizardry. In some African communities there is even a talk about positive and negative witchcraft. The belief is that positive witchcraft is used to do good-cure diseases or solve problems, and negative witchcraft is used to do evil. But generally, in Africa , witchcraft is associated with evil, harm and destruction.Unfortunately this mentality prevails in spite of the emergence of modern science and technology.

The Human Angle
Africans believe witches and wizards are spirits but that they carry out their nefarious activities as human beings, animals or insects. The belief is that witches and wizards transform into humans, animals and insects to perpetrate their evil machinations. Hence in countries like Nigeria , Cameroon , Ghana , Malawi , Uganda , witches are identified mostly with women or infants. In my country Nigeria all nocturnal insects and animals especially birds are suspected to be witches or wizards. In the Gambia or Senegal , witches are associated with the bird â€“owl. And children are advised to kill it whereever they see it. Witches are believed to operate mainly in the night. They allegedly organize nocturnal meetings in the seas, oceans and forests where they feast on human blood, flesh or fetuses. The general belief is that witches and wizards always convene to plan evil. They gather to plot how to inflict harm or undermine the progress of people especially their family members. As a result of this, throughout Africa witchcraft accusation in families is common. People blame their fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, children, uncles and aunties, grandfathers and grand mothers for any evil or misfortune that befalls them even the ones they caused for themselves.
In most cases these accusations have led to ostracization, persecution, torture, and inhuman and degrading treatment or outright liquidation of alleged witches.

WITCH HUNTING
So while witch hunting is a thing of the past in most parts of
Europe and the entire western world, in Africa , it is still an ongoing activity. Witch attacks, persecution and killings still take place on the continent. Incidentally, most of the victims are women and children. Recently there have several reported cases of witch attack and killing in different parts of the continent. In Eastern Cape of South Africa , a woman, her daughter, and grandson were hacked to death for allegedly practicing witchcraft. In Ghana a woman- Samata Karim- was almost lynched by a mob on the suspicion that she was a witch. The mob went after Samata after a neighbour said she dreamt and saw Samata strangling her to death. During my recent visit to Ghana , I was told that a witch camp- a place where women suspected to be witches are kept- exists in Northern part of the country.
In Uganda , three women suspected to be witches were lynched in Kitgum. The women were accused of using witchcraft to kill a man in the district.Kenneth Akena suddenly collapsed, the body started swelling and the skin peeled off. These signs were identified with witchcraft. The villagers indicted these women and lynched them instantly
In 2004, in Edo State Nigeria , 27 men and women suspected to be witches and wizards died after they were forced to drink a local concoction believed to be for witch identification. And in June this year a 70-year-old man killed the grandson in Kaduna in Northern Nigeria . He alleged that the son used witchcraft to kill his three children in quick succession. In Tanzania and Mozambique there have been reported incidents of killing, torture and maiming of persons in the name of witchcraft
WITCH CONFESSION
One of the most intriguing aspects of the belief in witchcraft is witch confession- the claim that witches and wizards sometimes openly admit to have indulged in occult activities. Believers in witchcraft often cite- and use- this as a justification for witch attack and persecution.
For instance in 1998 in Lagos , Nigeria , a middle aged woman was stoned and later burnt to death after she allegedly confessed to have indulged in witchcraft activities. The woman reportedly confessed to have killed ten people including her own kids as well as being responsible for the repatriation of her brother from Europe . Unfortunately as in all cases of witch confession no one tried to critical examine or confirm these claims. No one tried to find out if this woman was mentally sound.
At best witch confessions are utterances elicited under duress by a mob or pronouncements made by individuals of questionable mental health.
Besides, in some cultures in Nigeria , witch confession is believed to be therapeutic. Among the Okpameri people in Southern Nigeria witch confession is believed to be curative. So those suffering prolonged and complicated ailments are urged 'to confess and be healed'. Also in penticostal churches witch confession is perceived as a process of spiritual rebirth and recreation.
THE CHRISTIAN CONFUSION
As in other aspects of African life and society, Christianity has been confusing and complicating efforts to understand and eradicate witchcraft and realize social and cultural progress. Though the belief in witchcraft predates the advent of Christianity to Africa , over the centuries the Christian faith has spread and succeeded in reinforcing and appropriating this primitive belief. Many churches in Africa organize fellowships and revival meetings to cast out the demons of witchcraft and counteract their occult activities. The Bible enjoins believers to suffer and torture witches to death. So today, penticostal churches with their literalist approach to the Bible are championing a neo-witch hunt in Africa . In 2003 at least 25 people suspected to be witches and wizards were clubbed or hacked to death in Akwa Ibom State in Southern Nigeria . The killings started after some members of the Christian churches accused their congregation's parents and relatives of allegedly practicing witchcraft and being responsible for poverty, diseases, business failure, infertility and other calamities that befell them. As a result, some children attacked their parents, grandparents and relatives to elicit confession for their alleged participation in witchcraft activities. So Christians in Africa torture persecute and kill those alleged to be witches because their Bible tells them so. Actually witches are imaginary beings with no real existence. Witches are fantasies crafted by human beings out fear and ignorance. Witchcraft is an offshoot of the spiritualist and supernaturalist worldview which prevailed at the infancy of the human race. Absolutely there is no evidence that witches cause poverty, diseases, accidents, business failures, famine, earthquake, infertility and other calamities that befall humankind as most Africas believe. Witchcraft has no basis in reason science or in reality. The time has come for Africans to abandon this primitive belief and the atrocious crimes of witch attack, torture, persecution and killing.
The time has come for African to abandon superstition and embrace science.

Bookmark/Search this post with: